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Hokitika Guardian, 11 March 1920, Page 2

In its editorial comments on the Ministerial appointments, which were announced last week, the “New Zealand Herald” remarks of Mr J. G. Coates the representative of a North Islu-d constituency, who has become Minister of Public Works, that he “appears to have the strength and directness necessary for breaking down the South Island tradition in public works policy, and introducing some semblance of or. der and efficiency into departmental

practice.” What precisely, by G\e way, asks the Christchurch Pass, W

“the South Island tradition in public works policy?” Judging by the number of men engaged on public works in the Dominion, as set forth in the Government Statistician’s, figures for December last, it consists of the South Island’s resignation, under occasional bursts of indignant protest, to a large proportion of the public works’ vaie being spent in the North Island. Eighteen railways, or bits of railways, were under construction in the month named and the total number of men employed

on them, was 1632, of whom 1337 were in v the North Island, and 295 in tho South. The construction of roads employed 1477 men, 996 in the North and 481 in the South. Of the total of 3109 workers engaged under Ike Public Works Department on railways and roads, the South Island c ould claim only 776 or as nearly as possible one ,:t every four! If this i s the “Smith Is. land tradition” that the ‘“Herald”

wants Mr Coates to break down, we are heartily in accord with it. But we have an idea that Auckland will not regard the new Minister as a statesman, or even as a patriot, unless he reduces the South Island’s share of his Department’s, workers to a. much smaller proportion.