PUBLIC WORKS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10613, 11 June 1920, Page 10

PUBLIC WORKS

THE MINISTER IN THE NORTH. PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. OPQTTKI, June 10. Tlie Hon. J. G. Coates (Minister for Public Works) arrived hero last evening. He received deputations till nearly midnight. A request of the County. Council for roads and bridges into the back country was supported by the Borough Council, the _ Farmers’ Union, the A. and P. Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and settlers from various districts. It was .pointed out that in the case of two large block* of Crown land, opened for selection in 1912, it was undertaken to provide access to roads, but this had not been done. The settlers rated themselves to the last farthing m many cases, and settlers’ children were cut off from the schools by. rivers that were unfordable in the rainy seasons, and always dangerous. •Mr Coates gave the. deputations a very sympathetic hearing. Ho said he realised the hardships of the hackhlocker; also that the Government must look to these pioneers to increase the production of the country, and so help to carry the increased financial burden.

Replying to requests regarding the rapid completion of the East Coast railway, the- Minister reiterated the policy outlined at other places, and already reported—with regard to concentrating on the most important line end completing the ..same as rapidly &s possible. Questioned regarding branch lines, lie replied that he considered it good policy where a source of revenue could be tapped—as at the freezing works at Whakatane, where only about throe or four miles of rails were required-to he put in—but was not in favour of the construction of branch lines where they would interfere with the progress of main lines. The deputation was introduced by the Hon. Mr Gow, and supported by Mr McDonald, member for the district. AT WHAKATANE. The Honi. J. G. Ooates, who is now visiting the Bay of Plenty, was interviewed on various matters at Tanoatua and Whakatane. Replying to' a Taneatua request that main lines should bo finished first and branch lines afterwards, Air Coates said ho was unable at present to say what the order of precedence of the various lines would be, but his policy, after meeting departmental officers, inspecting the lines and meeting local, people, would be to make a list of the various lines in the order of their importance and work to it. The scarcity 1 of labour and material made , the progress of all works simultaneously impassible; therefore, it would be necessary to concentrate on tha most important works to a certain extent, as the distribution of effort resulted in waste.

The Minister inspected the Whakatano post office, in connection with which a new building has already been applied for.