PUBLIC WORKS MINISTER

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 220, 11 June 1920, Page 8

PUBLIC WORKS MINISTER

VISIT TO TEE EAST COAST. : By Telegraph—Press Association Opotiki, Juno 10. The Hon. J. G. Coates (Minister of Public Works) arrived hero last evening He received, deputations till. nearly midnight. A request of the County Council for roads and bridges into the back-country was supported by the Borough Council, the Farmers' Union, the A. and P. Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and settlers from various districts. It was pointed out that in the case of two large blocks of Crown land, • opened for selection in 1912, an undertaking wis ({iven to provide access to roads, but this had not been done. The settlers rated themselves to the last farthing in many case 9, and settlers' children were cut off from the schools by rivers that were unfordable in the rainy seasons, and always dangerous. Mr; Coaxes gave the deputations a very sympathetic hearing. He said he real- 5 ised the hardships of the back-blocker; also that the Government must look to these pioneers tojincrease the production of the country, rind so help to carry its increased financial burden. _ . .Replying to requests regarding the rapid completion of the East Coast railway, the Minister reiterated the policy outlined at other places, and already re•ported—with regard to concentrating on the most important lines and completing the same as rapidly as possible. Questioned regarding branch lines, hi> replied that he considered it good policy where a source of revenue oould be tapped—as at the freezing works at Whakatane, where only about three or four miles of rails were required to be put ;in—but was not in favour of the- construction of branch lines where they would interfere with the' progress of main lines. The deputation was introduced by .the Hon. Sir. Gow, and supported by Tur. M'Donald, member for the district. Whakatane, Juno 10. Tho Hon. J. G. Coates was interviewed on various matters at Taneatua and AVhakatane. Replying to Taneatua's request that main lines be finished first and branch lines afterwards, Mr. Coates said that he was unable at present to say what tho order of precedence of the various lines would be, but his .policy, after meeting Departmental officers, inspecting the lines, and meetiilg local people, would be to make a list of tho various lines in the order' of their importance, and work to it. The scarcity of labour and material made the progress of all works simultaneously impossible. Therefore it was necessary to concentrato on the most important works to a cei'iain extent, as distribution of effort resulted in waste. ■ The Minister inspected the Whakatane Post Office, in connection with which a new building was already applied for.