NUMEROUS DEPUTATIONS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10283, 19 May 1919, Page 5

NUMEROUS DEPUTATIONS

MINISTER FOR PUBLIC WORKS IN GISBORNE. Press Association. - GISBORNE, May 17. ' . Sir William Fraser, Miuister ""fnr Public Works, had a busy day to-day with " deputations from all quarters of the district. Including many small local matters was a request to the Minister for a grant of £50,000 and a” £2 for £1 subsidy for a main arterial road from Wliangapawa"to^Nagier. 1 -it-eplylng, Mr Fraser said- that through the Estimates it would he found that £49,000 was set down fur local bodies between. Napier and .East Coast. This sum did not include railways.'. If ‘the ilioney was"not expended, it was not his'fault, hut due to the shortage of labour. He thought the request for a subsidy of £2 for £1 un- ; reasonable. ' Another - deputation urged the more rapid construction of railways in the; district. -The Minister said that the j department’s engineer reported not succeeding in’ grading the route north, of Gisborne, and that the cost would uoi be less than £25,000 to £30,000 j per mile. The department'eoutd“now' entertain a work of' such a costly na- ■. lure. The speakers had urged him to incease the wages to 14s per day, but he was'not going to do it, becaitsq■ho would compete with private employment. He was satisfied that he could get men at 12s per day, and saw. no - reason .why in a year’s time.ho.should , not have 4000, .to 5000 men at his dlsy ; posal. ....... . Land for soldiers was the subject ol another deputation, and the speakers said that over two million acres had .been purchased, in the Dominion, but very little in Poverty Bay. When the ; .Conscription . Act came into force tho district had a surplus of 500 men drafted, to Canterbury and Otago, and seeing Poverty Bay was entitled to tho same consideration as these districts, Mr Guthrie came to the dis-, trict and offered land at £lO per acre, . No reason was given for' refusal, and , -adjoining'people sold - late at £l4 10s. The Minister - said that the matter • would be referred to the Minister lor Lands, who was a most earnest member of Cabinet in this respect. .