The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) SATURDAY, MARCH 1st, 1924. WESTLAND NEEDS.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 March 1924, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) SATURDAY, MARCH Ist, 1924. WESTLAND NEEDS.

The County deputation to the Minister of Public Works, introduced by Mr O’Brien M.P., at Wellington on Wednesday, put up a good case for better attention on the part of the Government to the needs of Westland in inspect to roads and bridges. Mr Coates adopted a jocular attitude pointing out that the requests of the deputation ran into a total expenditure of some £38,640. Mr O’Brien admitted that was so. but promptly rejoined that the money had been promised.' Tie fact’s that the country has a very lose way of dealing with its estimates of expenditure. Every year large sums are placed before Parliament and approved, but it is impossible to spend the fim-

moil in the time, even it it were available immediately. Parliament does nut rise till late in the year—and just before the Holidays. Consequently there are lass than three months of the financial year to run in which (lovcrnincut departments or local bodies may prepare proposals, secure the authorisation by the .Minister and carry out the work, 'tile result is that every year large sums of money arc carried over, and arc repeated on the estimates the following year in again swell the total.

and in many cues of deferment go tiil'OUgh the same pioeess of postunnelt'.em again, ami often again amt ngrin. It nottld appear that happens with a good deal of the Government moimy for Westland County. The Minister liiinsili has made many ]>romises in regard to the Waiho bridge for instance and the money to start the work has been voted uvei and over again hut the river is Mill bridgeless. This year £3.000 was put on the Estimates. The increase of the amount from Cl .000 was considered an earnest of the promise to he performed, hut the County ro-pi'o.-eutn lives and the Mem her for Westland had to remind Mr Coates that Ins promise was still in the air. As regards the good case put forward by the deputation for better attention to the opening up of the County. Mr Cones put a lot of value on the crop of limber in remote and isolated places. It would he of great value if there were facilities to get rid of it. but. unloilnnately the Government are not helping to create those facilities. Indeed they make the standing timber an excuse for not going on with the development of roads, and so the district is being penalised, and the country has to wait indefinitely for the first and only crop the territory will yield, and would-be settlers must go elsewhere lor holdings, leaving the district to languish in the meantime There is ample land in Wc.-ilund for selection if the Pnvernmont departments would cooperate with one another in seeking to epee, it up for settlement.. Apparently the local body and its representatives rre to go on appealing in vain for that measure of attention and justice the tacts justify. However, so fm as immediate needs of the district arc concerned in relation to the expenditure of grains piovided for by Parliament, the deputation put up a good tight. If th(> works v.ere worth being put on tin schedule adopted iiv the House, thee it follows the amounts should he

e> pended. Before the schedule icached i’ariii'mcnt it would he revised no doubt by the Public Works oflicons :ml tlie Minister himself. The appearance of the works on the list i.s tantamount to Ministerial approval and the deputation was quite right in pressing for the expenditure, the bulk of wliieh, it is expected, will he provided for tin,: vetir.