THE Hauranaki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1922 STRIKING STATEMENT.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4372, 1 February 1922, Page 2

THE Hauranaki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1922 STRIKING STATEMENT.

Observing the number of votes “struck out” in the annual statement presented by the Minister for Public Works (Hon. J. G. Coates), to Parliament last Saturday, the compilation may appropriately be termed a striking statement. The list of items of interest in .this district is published elsewhere in this issue. First, on the tabled statement comes the Paeroa-Pokeno railway vote, £5OOO, but nothing spent last year, and no indication as to when the vote will beyconverted from a useless formula to a useful working fund. Happily it is not “struck out,” but presumably it will be time enough to do that when the agitation for the commencement of the line becomes loud and persistent enough to compel attention. The Public Works, Office, Paeroa, has £300; Police Station, Kerepeehi, £l5OO, the similar vote for Ngatea being transferred to Kerepeehi. Residents of Ngatea will be pleased to note the vote of £4OO for a post office to replace what Mr T. W. Rhodes, M.P., dubbed a “6 by 8 dog-box.” There is the same old £2OOO on account for the Paeroa Post Office; a shuffle through the old building would convert a Parliamentary party to the idea that a new one is badly needed. It is difficult to understand why the Patetonga P.O. item of £llOO was struck out, seeing that Patetonga must become more and more the centre for a large and developing district. Inscrutable are the moves of Ministers. The lesson of the Statement for local bodies seems to be that they should spend what grants they have as speedily as possible, and not allow the vote to remain until it is ingloriously "struck out.” However, if the powers that be would only spend during ihe current year what money is voted for this district there would be much more progress.