KAIKOURA’S NEEDS.
DISSATISFACTION WITH THE GOVERNMENT,
THE “ SQUARE DEAL.”'
Mr G. W. Forbes, M.P., who attended the annual eale of stock at Kai-, koura on Friday and who - arrived in' Christchurch Inst night, stated in aninterview that there was much dissatisfaction in the district in regard to ’ several actions on the part of the Government. i
In the first place, he said, the wliola, of the Kaikoura district had been practically disfranchised on the Marlborough Land Board. Mr J. Boyd,, chairman of the County Council, was l the last representative and his term', of office expired and he was not reapEointed. Mr-Weld was appointed in , is place, but ho was practically a stranger to the people of Kaikoura, be-, ing a resident of Flaxboume. It was a glaring example of\ the representative character of a public body being destroyer!, merely for party purposes. Mr Boyd had done excellent work on the Board, attending to his duties in a most painstaking way. He had .been removed simply because ho was not of the rightcolour, and a large number of people bad had to suffer. Mr Boyd probably would have been willing to take the position again. The appointment was' received by the Kaikoura people with astonishment. It certainly was open to the severest criticism. It was to , be regretted that that kind <of thing should creep into public lifp. There 1 were, large numbers of Grown tenants ; in. the district. Formerly/they, could! go to their member of the Board aiickc, place grievances before him, bht> row'* they had nobody to go to, as Mir; I ,Weld - lived too far away. Apparently, northing could be done to alter the posiy/ tioif. Then there Was nothinjjpto dij • bub to grin and bear it. One of tliev local newspapers described the affairin sarcastic terms as “The Square Deal for Kaikoura.”
Another grievance- was in the telephone office at Oaro. 'tt is felt that there should be much better conimunication with Kaikoura. At present a message from Oaro to Kaikoura had to travel 231 miles and be handled bV four, operators. The distance between the two places was only fourteen miles. The trouble was that there was not direct communication between ( Oarc and Kaikoura. The messages had. tc . go on a roundabout route, although the main telegraph line ran direct be- f tween, the two places. The PostmasterGeneral had been communicated with' • on the subject bv Mr Forbes, but nothing had been clone. Mr Forbes attended. a meeting., of the Hoads and Bridges League in Kiiikoura. The question of bridging the Conway was discussed and an opinion was expressed that a sum for the work -, should have been placed, on the.Esti--. : mates last session to complete , tlje> . road from Christchurch to Blenheim" for motors. Sir Forbes explained .to the meeting what had been’done, arid a letter was received from the Marlborough Automobile Association suggesting that there should he a combined run with the ■ Canterbury" As- ' sedation. and .a meeting of .motorists held in Kaikoura; probably In Easter. Members of Parliament and Ministers could be invited, and a demonstration ooukl be held. The League adopted the idea and it w;as decided to take steps in. that direction. It was de* cided to ask the Minister of Piiblif Works to push on with the work oV bridging the Kowhai. and other rivers on. the Cliristchurch-Blenheim route. It was pointed out that the road up * the Conway Gorge also should be com- , pleted and that the necessary, money should bo provided." Mr Forbes stated last night .that j when the Conway was bridged a good j motor service would take tne place ,oV j the coach service, and visitors .‘'would . have quick access from the rail-head at l Parnassus. Kaikoura was a splendid place for a holiday. "With the iin- ' proved service" a visitor could, leave I Christchurch at 9 a.m. and reach Kai- , koura at 4 p.m. Mr Forbes pointed out in Parliament that Ministers were not acquainted with the real position in regard to the rivers that needed bridging, and he said last night th<4T • the Minister, of Works, at least, should visit the locality. . : VIn the circumstances, he concluded, there was a great deal of discontent in the district. It was felt that %© i people would have to make their grievances known. “ Wlieii" work on . th e, railway was stopped it, was understood ; that the smaller enterprise, the ijn-. l provement of the roads,.would l>e taken ! m hand, and deep disappointment was t expressed with the Government's ’ apathy. /
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LT19140225.2.15
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16484, 25 February 1914, Page 3
Word count
Tapeke kupu
753KAIKOURA’S NEEDS. Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16484, 25 February 1914, Page 3
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
See our copyright guide for information on how you may use this title.