NORTH AUCKLAND NEEDS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 171, 9 April 1918, Page 8

NORTH AUCKLAND NEEDS

DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS. A deputation from the North Auckland district waited upon the Prime Minister, the Minister of Lands (Mr. Guthrie), and the Minister of Public Works (Sir William Fraser) yesterday in order to advocate various local works. It consisted of Messrs. R. C. Smith (chairman of the Otamatea County Council), J. Ovens (chairman of the Raupo 'Drainage Board), R. Coates, B. K. Finlayson, and A. Curtis (members of ..he council), and,R. J. Bath (county engineer). The chief request made by the deputation was that; the section of the North Auckland railway from Huarau Station, the present J terminus, to Ranganui should be opened for ordinary traffic as early as possible. This section of line is completed, but has not yet been,handed over to the Railways Department by the Public Works Department. Tho road from Huarau to Ranganui is in a bad state, while the stock road to the port of Kaiwaka is impassable during the winter months. The Public AVorks Department is running trains on the Huarau-Rauganui section, but extra rates are charged for the carriage of stock. The deputation asked the Government to proceed with the reading and drainage of the Toka Toka swamp blocks, where settlers are being severely handicapped by flood waters. Part of this land had been reserved for returned soldiers, and it ought to be placed in reasonable condition before the men were put upon it. Another request was for the metalling of the road from Ruawai to Huarau. The speakers urged that the Government should provide funds, for necessary work on the Great North Road in Otamatea County. The Prime Minister, in reply, said that he understood the needs of the settlers. The Government had to face serious financial difficulties at the present time, owing to the necessity of providing very large sums for war expenditure, but the claims of the North Auckland settlers were not going to be overlooked.

The Minister of .Lands promised* to visit the district later in the year, and the Minister of Public Works said he would see what could be done regarding tho railway. Hβ would provide £500 for the repair of the road from Paparoa to Huarau Station if the county council would find £300. The deputation mentioned also a suggestion made by a North Auckland newspaper that a new representative in Parliament ought to be found owing to the absence of tho present member for Kaipara, Captain Coates, at the front. The members said that they dissented entirely from this suggestion, and wished the Government to understand that nothing they had said in support of their claims carried any reflection upon Captain Coatos, who was serving New Zealand in the field. Mr. Young, the member for AVaikato, had shown his willingness to watch the interests of Kaipara during the member's absence.

Mr. Massey said tlio suggestion regarding Captain Coatee was mean and contemptible. He felt sure it did not represent the wishes of the Kaipara electors. No district would suffer because its member was at the front.