PARLIAMENTARY VISIT.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4368, 20 January 1922, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY VISIT.

MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE.

A meeting of the representatives ?f the various local bodies taking part in the proposed visit of Parliamentarians to the Hauraki Plains was held in the Ohinemuri County Council Chambers yesterday. There were present: Messrs J. C. Miller (chairn man of committee and chairman cf the Hauraki Plains County Council), F. W. Walters (chairman Piakp County Council), R. Coulter (Mayor of Te Aroha), F, Marshall (Mayor of Morrinsville), W. Clement Cargill (Morrinsville Chamber of Commerce), J. B. Thomas (Morrnisvi'He Chamber of Commerce), P. E. Brenan (Mayor of Paeroa), E. W. Porrltt (president Paeroa Chamber of Commerce), Jas. Couper (Paeroa Chamber of Commerce), F. L. Kenrick (president Te Aroha Chamber of Commerce), Edwin Edwards (Deputy-Mayor of Paeroa), who is also secretary, assisted by Mr T. E. McMillan, Paeroa. Mr A. R. Robinson (chairman Ohinemuri Count ty Council) was unavoidably absent. Notices of the meeting were sent tc the following Thames bodies : County Council, Harbour Board, Chamber of Commerce, and Borough Council, but no representatives of any of these bodies attended, and no acknowledgement of the notji.ces was received.

The Mayor olf Te Aroha (Mr R Coulter) stated that Te Aroha did not see any particular gain in getting a large Parliamentary party along. THE BROAD VIEW. Mr E. W. Pbrritt endorsed the view put forward by Mr Rhodes that the matter should be looked at in a broad district point of view. The first-hand knowledge given to Ministers and ■members would result in more and better-guided expenditure. Mr J. B. Thomas pointed put that the whole of the Plains and the Valley must benefit eventually by the first-hand knowledge of the district the visit would give to Parliamentarians, who controlled the public works policy.

Mr W. Clement Cargill thought that as there was a money stringency it was all the more necessary that the claims of the district should -be put forward as trenchantly as possible before members of the Legislature. He believed the visit would result in advantage to the whole district.

Mr F. W.- Walters emphasised that the district would gain in the future if members of Parliament were made personally conversant With the great possibilities of the district. “Show them your factories and amount of production, and it will enlighten them as to where it is most advantageous to develop public works,” added Mr Walters.

Mr Thomas remarked that it would be necessary to impress upon the delegation the fact that certain roads Should be declared main roads, other-, wise this district would be paying tyre-tax and getting no main road benefits.

Mr T. E. McMillan: We will be paying tyre-taxes for the construction of main roads in other districts while our own roads will be neglected for want of funds. It was decided that all deputations be asked to stress the need for the declaration by the Government of main arterial roads on the Plains and in the Thames Valley districts ; also, that deputations be asked to put all their requests in writing and hand to the Minister concerned-, as it would be absolutely imperative that no time Should be lost in putting their views forward, as there was a very heavy programme to be gone through.

DATE OF VISIT. The question, of the probable date of the visit was somewhat perplexing, on account of the fact that it is not known exactly when the present session of Parliament will conclude. It was decided to recommend to the Ministers and members that they arrive in Morrinsville either on. Monday, February 27, or, Monday, March 6. The cpmmittee desired that the visit should not clash .with! other affairs in the district, and that it should not ha left until too late, owing to the likeli. hood of wet weather setting in during the latter part of the autumn. ALLOCATION OF COSTS. The following allocation of costs was unanimously agreed to t Hauraki Plains County, 30 per cent.; Piako, 20 : Ohinemuri, 20; Morrinsville, Te Aroha, and Paeroa boroughs, 10 per cent, each, The outside cost was estimated at £3OO, for, say, 20 members and a fourdays’ trip, the committee assuming that cars would be provided Voluntarily. The money will have to be raised by public subscription, as most of the local bodies have already exceeded their unauthorised expenditure. THE ITINERARY.

In arranging the itinerary, members assumed that the party would arrive in Morrinsville on a Monday afternoon, when local requests could be disposed of. On the Tuesday morning the visitors would start out earlv from Morrinsville, arriving at Tahuna at about 9 a.m. Here a half-hour Would Be allotted for deputations. Proceeding to Kaihere, the visitors would view the settlement and go on to Waitakaruru, reaching that centre at about 12.30 p.m.; and lunching at 1 p.m. Here deputations could be received, the secretaries of the committee being instructed to advise the Maramarua branch of the N.Z. Farmers’ Union that arrangements would be made to receive a Maramarua deputation at Waitakaruru. Leaving Waitakaruru- at 3 p.m., the Parlia* mentarlans would then be taken to Plpirba, where deputations could be received; thence to Orongo Settlement, by way of Ngatea bridge, and from Orongo to Tuma, provided that arrangements can be made for accommodating the party in that township and the immediate district. On Wednesday morning the guests would continue the itinerary to Kerepeehi, Where the public works could be viewed and deputations attended (Conjtinued In next Column.)

Continued frojn previous Column. to. Lunch/would be partaken of at Ngatea, tlie departure therefrom being at 3 p.m. for Hikutaia, via the Wharepoa ferry, and thence to the Puke public works, arriving at Paeroa at about 5.30 p.m. The night would be spent in Paeroa, the guests leaving for TeAroha on Thursday morning. Should the party arrive in Morrinsville by the first train on the morning of the first day, instead of in the afternoon, then the Parliamentary ians would be sent straight througn to Tahuna, in which event the stav in Morrinsville would be arranged for the end, instead of the beginning, of the tour. THE PERSONNEL. Ten members- have definitely accepted the invitation, and fourteen have given favourable but indefinite replies. The following have accepted outright: Hon. Sir W. Herries, K.C.M.G. (Tauranga), T. W. Rhodes (Thames), H. Poland (Ohinemuni), G. W. Forbes (Hurunui), Alex Harris (Waitemata), V. H. Potter (Roskill), E. Newman (Manawatu), R. F. Bollard (Raglan), J, A. Young (Waikato), W. A. Veitch (Wanganui), W. F, Jennings (Waitomo). The following have signified their intention of being present if they can see their way clear to do so : The Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey, P.C., Prime Minister (Franklin), Hon. J. G. Contes, Minister for Public Works (Kaipara), Hon. W. Downic Stewart, Minister for Internal Affairs (Dunedin West), Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Min-, ister for Lands (Oroua), Hon. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, K.C.8., Minister -for Defence (Ellesmere), Hon. Sir Frederick Lang, Speaker of the House (Mannkau), A. S. Malcolm (Clutha), G. Mitchell (Wellington South), G. RSykes (Masterton), J. Horn (Wakatipu). * Mr E, Edwards was appointed organiser and business manager of the t.our.