PUZZLE FOR MAORI

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19979, 3 July 1939, Page 14

PUZZLE FOR MAORI

PAKEHA PSYCHOLOGY COMPETING SERVICES RAILWAYS & SPEEDWAYS SIR,A. NGATA CRITICAL (Herald Special Reporter.) “The pakeha has a peculiar mind, and it is a little difficult for the Maori lo follow his reasoning. No sooner doe;? he complete and perfect one form of transportation than he starts out to perfect another. Thus we have the position that the Hon. R. Semple. 'Minister of Public Works and Minister in charge of highway’s, is building -peedways for motor traffic alongside the 'railways which have cost the country so much to complete," said Sir Apirana Ngafa during his speech at the Wairoa railway function on Saturday. “In addition, we now have Mr. E. L. Cullen, M.P., telling the Minister that Wairoa wants an aerodrome. Now .that appears-to me to be the very thing that .will 'crool' the railway,” Sir Apirana continued. “They have a good aerodrome in Gisborne, and .people are getting so air-minded that they will not travel by road service. They might not even travel by railcar. “Another thing the railways are up against, and it is one of the biggest factors, is that people have got out of the habit of travelling bv schedule. They can take their own cars and travel where and when they like, without having to depend on railway schedules or anything else. “There is also the tendency of people

to promise support for the railway, and then to seek other transportation when the railways are available. When the Government built the Bay of Plenty line to Taneatua, one large dairy concern set about sending its produce to Auckland by steamer. What will Wairoa do, now that it has i'ts railway? Railway’s Chance to Succeed “The only chance the railway has is to secure the support of the farming community on the narrow strip of land lying along the coast between Tutira and Gisborne. “My argument is that the justification of this railway is not to foe found in the natural resources of the districts through which it passes. The justification is that for 60 or 70 years, the people of these districts contributed 'to the railway costs of other districts, and now the others have to help. to support our line. “The chief excuse for building the line is that it will help to develop these districts. The chief hope for its success is that it will have the undivided support of the people,’-’ added Sir (Apirana, who called for cheers for the Minister of Railways, expressing the hope that the Minister -would give the people of the East Coast a fair deal in regard to the running of the section. In an earlier portion of his speech, the member for the Eastern Maori electorote had paid tribute to the energy of the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. .Semple, and had invited the large gathering to tender ■him the encouragement of their cheers. He also led the Wairoa Maori people in a haka, which he explained was in praise of the “hairy man who causes the sun to shine.” He did not know whether Mr. Semplle was particularly hairy, he added, but the Minister was certainly the man Who had made the sun shine on Wairoa, so far as prosperity was concerned. Linking Up With North Line The function in which they were taking part, he said, marked a stage in the development of the East Coast line, and. a stage only. He believed hat the logical goal was to link up with the Bay of Plenty line at Opotiki. and so_ give access for East Coast people to the markets in the Bay of Plenty and South Auckland. To -bring store stock from the East Coast rfoove Gidborne lo Hawke’s Bay would foe .bringing coals to Newcastle, he pointed out. On the other hand, a

link to the northward would open up sound and promising markets. The East Coast was undoubtedly the greatest ewe-breeding district in the North 'lsland, and at present every sheep that left the Coast for the north had to hocf it toy road or be taken by steamer. Recently the farmers in the Bay of Plenty and South Auckland had stepped 'buying on the farms, and had told the East Coasters to send their sheep for sale in their centres. The result was that thousands of pounds had Ibeen lost 'to the Coast. No Greater Work Waiting “I do not know of any greater public work for the Government to undertake than to complete the line from Gisborne to Opotiki,” added Sir Alpirana. “If Mr. Semple does not do it, someone else will. Give him the money, and I am sure that he will do it. Even if it costs a few millions, it will toe worth doing. The broken connection is a big handicap to the district and a big handicap to the railway service generally. "Mr. Semple is probably thinking of this work now, tout if 'he is not, then I make him a present of the idea ” added Sir Apirana. The Eastern (Maori representative enlivened the gathering considerably toy his reference to the events which preceded the closing down of railway construction in 1930. He admitted being one of those who voted to stop the work, but he directed attention to the fact that the delivery of the Mohaka Viaduct steel on the site of the work was a symbol of the intention that the line would proceed some time iu the future. He invited the gathering, which already had cheered the 'Minister of Public Works on Sir Apirana’s call, to give “three hearty groans” for those who stopped the work. This sally brought much laughter and applause, and the speaker commented that that, at any rate, disposed of the past.