Prime Minister's Impending Visit

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 178, 14 August 1937, Page 6

Prime Minister's Impending Visit

^ ' RATEPAYER.

Sir, — The Tecent' statement by Mr Barnard that the Prime Minister would probably visit Napier before the eommencement of the next session gives - our . local Members, MessTs Barnard, Cullen and Cliristie, an opportunity of giving him a real eye-opener as to the manner in which works entrusted to local hodies are handled (I was ncarly going to say carried out). They might take him to the site of the proposed harbour, where he will be amazed at the wonderful aehievements in the short space of three yeaTS. . He — the" Prime Minister — should be allowed to figure o'ut from the progress so far made the time, to within 50 years, when the "Brain Trust" will have the job completed. He will be able to advise his colleague, Mr Semplej to take a further extended holiday owing to the facfc that we have local bodies handling works of national im-> portance without regard to time or money— the latter is easily obtained from the consumers and ratepayers — and the claim that "time is money" is a fallacy with the Napier Harbour Board. Now, if Mr Barnard is awake to the position, he should endeavour to have Mr Lee, the Parliamentary Under-Sq-I cretary in charge of the Government Housing Scheme, accompanying the Prime Minister. I am certain that when the various hovels designated as j offices and us'ed as Buch by the unfortunate Harbour Board stafii, are viewed by the Prime Minister and hi3 colleague, they will surely begin to think their better housing scheme for the people is hardly necessary when human beings can be treated in this manner. I believe the reason for transferring the staff to the tin shed at the Breakwater wTas to effect a saving of a few pounds annually. How ridieulous this is in face of the wastage of public inoneys by this board, which has gone on for years, and is likely to go on indefinitely, unless aetion is taken by the Government. Mr Lee, on his return to Wellington, would see the other side of the picture if he cared to stand on the "Duke" 1 corner and viewed the most expensive estaminet in Now Zealand, which is or has been patronised by some of onr loeaLbody executives at the public expensc and whose motto is evidently: "The best is not too good for us." Now, Ma Prime Minister and Mr Parlia.taentary jUnderi-Seeretary, are you quite happy in the knowledge that the Government is heavily subsidising these aHeged attempts at harbour conslti.'TAon out of unemployment funds,— and are you satisfied that the district is getting any thing like a f air deal from a body which, m order to bolstei up its incompetence, calmly blames the ' 4 contract ' ' system for its f ailure 2 Further, are you quite satisfied tha,t Ihe ordinary human beings, who constitute the xank and file of the staff are being treated as civilised people and are the quarters provided by this sub: sidised loeal body quite in keeping wtii yoiir ideals? • The remedy is in your hands and surely you are not afraid to doing tht right thing. — Yours, etc., Nft-niAT4 Aiiff. 13/37,