THE OPOTIKI NEWS Monday, July 31, 1939. A QUESTION OF ACITATION

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 214, 31 July 1939, Page 2

THE OPOTIKI NEWS Monday, July 31, 1939. A QUESTION OF ACITATION

In view cl' the explanation given by (Ts. G. L. Day and F. J. Short at tlie monthly meeting ot the Opotiki Borough Couneil in connection with the council’s attitude regarding the appointment of delegates to a public meeting which is to be held' in support of representations for an early start on the Taneatua-Opotiki railway and the sealing of the present highway, the News wishes to place before readers reasons for the criticism of the council’s decision not to be represented at the meeting. Cr. T. G. Johnson assured the Council that the district would get both the railway and road and that the Hon. R. Semple had informed him the railway would commence in three months’ time. Cr. Johnson however, did not inform the council what he meant by ihe word road and since ho first made this statement he has not told the council that the Taneatua-Opotiki highway was to be realigned and sealed The County Council in its letter explicitly asked for support of an early commencement of the railway and that the Taneatua-Opotiki highway be sealed. Cr. Short informed the council at the last meeting that Mr. Hulttjuist informed him some ten days picviously that the road was definite-ly-going through. We have been informed by another Opotiki resident who was on tlio same train with Messrs. Hultquist and Short, that Mr. Hultquist said the proposed highway via Oliiwa was going through. It will he seen from the above that the Tan-eatua-Opotiki highway was not mentioned. neither had it been promised. We quite agree with Or. Short when he states that as far as the existing highway is concerned it- is useless to try and maintain it without sealing being clone, and that the tar-seal-ing will mere than pay for itself, it is for this very reason that the Opotiki County Council is calling a public meeting. We strongly support the attitude of the County Council and realise the' necessity lor the strongest agitation as it is only by this means that Opt tiki will secure its just requirements. 'l'lie News was informed at least two weeks ago that the agitation from Opotiki has already horn some results and we feel confident that the meeting on Saturday next will secure the desired results. The lh rough C ouncil decided to rely oil llie promises as stated hv Cr. Johnson but a.s Cr. Johnson did not mention the Opotiki-Taneatua road we consider the Borough Council should reconsider its attitude and hack up the public meeting. At Tuesday’s meeting of the 1 Borough Council Cr. Short expressed the opinion that a public meeting would only mean a Jot ol pinpricking and that if nothing happened about the railway, then they could have a public- meeting and lie would support it. Cr. Short’s attitude is lather contradictory as no public statement lias been made 1 recently en the matter, while just on 12 months ago a definite promise was made h\ the Minister of .Public Works that air immediate start was to he made with the construction of the line. In a signed letter handed to the Opotiki News the Minister stated: “I am arranging for the pegging ol the permanent railway line to commence at Taneatua, and for the actual forming of the line and work associated therewith to commence as soon as a mile or so of pegging has been, completed

. “I am therefore a bit- to asm!((- you (Mr. Hultquist) chat a mimijoi of mi'll will bo engaged' on the actual construction of the lino in tin not so Far distant fnturo Ifiit to all intents and purposes the work lias actually conimonood with the pegging ijl the route.” Cr. Johnson informed the council that the railway will not start until machinery is available. If this is so, will Cr. Johnson explain why Mr. Semple made a definite promise 12 months ago to make an immediate start with the line if the Government was not in a position to do so? Mr. Semple is known to lie the most capable Minister of Public Works New Zealand has ever had and could not be ignorant of the position at that date. Nothing has happened so wo consider Cr. Short should summit the public meeting. The Mayor is also unite inconsistent, ns lie has said rn more than one occasion “It’s the crying baby that gets the most attention”. Criticism by the Qpotiki News is made with the object of securing the attention the district is entitled to 1 he News is quite independent in its

policy and whenever it sees the need of drawing attention to any matters affecting the welfare ’of the district, and the people generally, it will 'continue to do so without fear or favour.