PRIME MINISTER'S TOUR

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 491, 22 October 1928, Page 8

PRIME MINISTER'S TOUR

CAMPAIGN IN THE SOUTH ENDS MR. COATES COMING NORTH Press Association INVERCARGILL. Sunday. Having concluded his tour of South Island, the Prime Minister th RU Hon. J. G. Coates, and Mrs. Coa. te left for the X’orth to-day. They an due at Dargaville on Wednesday, whe Mr. Coates will address his own constituents. Yesterday Mr. Coates addressed the electors of Wallace and was given ac enthusiastic vote of aianks and confidence. The audience consisted n* farmers and timber workers. Referring to the efforts of the Got ernment to assist the unemployed 34Coates stated that 10,000 men had bee* employed on public works for which the normal requirement was 6,000. Mr. Coates was asked wha; poss:. bility there was of raising the tariff oe imported timber, in order to improve local trade. He said that the last increase in the tariff the quantity of timber imported had shown a mendous fall, but the demand v>«d a.su shown a fall, as a direct result of d* depression. What must be done wa> to produce goods in the form and o: the quality to compete with imported timber. Referring to the railway construction programme, the Prime Minister said that in 1924 he had set out lo hand over 280 miles of railway within four years. At the end of last financial year the position was that 122 miles had been handed over, 47 milfcwould be ready to hand over in three months, and 19 miles within nix months, while 91 miles would be in operation by the Public Works Department.