The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 1919. ROADS AND BRIDGES.

Taihape Daily Times, 7 June 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 1919. ROADS AND BRIDGES.

With which its incorporated “The Taihape Post and Waimarino News.”

A Deputation from the Rangitikei County. Council to the Minister of Public Works should provide material for discussion by the Taihape Chamber of Commerce Mr. Lethbridge and Mr_ H. O’Callaghan waited on Mr Fraser, introduced .by Mr. R. W. Smith, M.P., asking for Government assistance in a general reading scheme for the Rangitikei County, and although the Minister held out some small hope, his attitude was surprisingly disappoillting_ It will be remembered that the Minister of Public VVOI-ks, some time back caused local bodies throughout the Dominion to be prepared with their schedules and proposals for public Works required, as it was the intention of the Government to institute and encourage a vigorous public Works policy. We were inclined to take that promise seriously, but it appears that "no one elsedid; We, evidently, did not understand Miriisterial methods so well as most other people did, and we have, in consequence, been Chagrined to discover how loosely Ministerial promises are made and how they so natul‘ally fall to pieces, The rapid spread of settlement in this great dis-

trict, seemingly, has no Government concern; it matteis not Whether the men pushing away into the backblocks have roads or no roads; postal service. or no postal service, and so indiiferent is the G.ovel-nmont to the needs of communication of these long-suffex-ing settlers haVillg no mail delivery that the Deputation probably thought it Qiiscreet to ask for one Ilrgent need for increasing production only so as to avoid the I\;’[inister being flabbergasfed by their audacity in

thinking‘ a public works account was ever intended to benefit the men who are settling the country and providing the money for the very fund Sir Wil~ liam so jealously guards and nurses. We have to acknowledge small mercies, however, for Sir —VVilliam did not point blank refuse to do anything till he could get plenty of labour at his own price, as he did the East Coast people at Gisborne, who after l:1alf—a~ ecntury’.s penning in a gully through which storm water finds its way to the sea, wanted railways under con-. struction proceeded with so that they might have land communication with the rest of the world. Mr. Lcthbridge and Mr. O,’Callaghan did much better than the East Coasters; they, atleast, got a promise from -Sir William that he would give consideration to such of the Works as the Council intended to carry out; this consideration would be governed by the means at his disposal; the amount would be limited to the proportionate part of what would be available from the current yea.r’g estimates. The Minister is going to do his best with the money Parliament will allow him, but we cannot understand why the public mind is so consistently being confused as to public Works and mone_v__ From his place in Parliament Sir Vvilliam deliberately told Members that he had plenty of money and it was only the

shortage of labour that prevented him ‘from making the, _DolniDioll a Very Ibee—hive with public works. _ Doubtless, he has given us the beehive, ’but its occupants are busy in hunting for the little money to carry on ‘urgently needed local works; no comprehcnsive puiblic WOl‘ks pOIiCY 1135 materialised, and thus we find over)’ local body striving for the attainment of its direst needs. The M‘lnis‘t-er urged local bodies to ‘-be 16833‘ With their schedules of needed works so ,that there would be no delay when ;War ceased; the works are Waiting.ibut Sir William now admits he haSll’l3 ?got the money, and so ' the whole tpublic works business is Virtually i hung up, reduced to what. money there inlay be available from this YOaT'S 955‘ I mates which are yet to pass the Ordeal of Parliamentary scrutiny. The TaiFhape Chamber of Commerce should be very deeply concerned about the fortunes of the Deputation because it is that part of the Count)’noTlhW?'«Td Of Taihape that is a disgrace to . any Government in its provision of roads for getting supplies in and -produce Out. Many years ago promises were given to construct a bridge OV5!‘ the Rangitikei River, connecting this county with that of Hawke’s Bay, Yet the hundreds of thousands of acres of land that would’ be rendered more iproductive are still wanting the zbridge. It may be mentioned that twhen the Tuwharetoa Natives, headed ‘by Kingi Topia and Hcuhcu Tukino ,gave' some 70,000 acres of land in lthis direction, the Minister, promised lthat this bridge, giving ingress and iegress to that land, should :be constructed. We have the returned Maori lsoldiers almost daily making anxious lenquiries for the land that has been given for their »sct:t.lement, but we cannot hear one word about what Ministerial intentions are in this connection. Further, the generous Natives, had other land in that neighbourhood which they were importuned and besciged to sell to private individuals; they had many offers but accepted none_ ‘After exhaustive discussion the owners decided to offer it to the Government at one pound per acre less than they could get privately, so that it could be devoted ‘to soldier settlement, We ibelieve this land was acquired, or, thatiit is 'the'in'tention of the Government. to take it. ‘What are Taihape communityleaders doing that they -should not be on the alert to ascertain all there is to be known about this land for soldier settlement, totalling some hundred thousand acres? While returned Maori soldiers are complaining that they cannot get possession of the land their peoples gave for their settlement, and while returned Britishers, born in the district, are bcillg forced into exile, in -some other part of the Dominion if they want to get a piece of land to work upon, thczchamber of Commerce and Tradesmen’s . Association appear indifferent ‘tO‘\VllCi'.ll€l" roads are made, bridges built, and whether soldiers arc settled, or not, on the lands that have been given ——not' sold—for the express purpose. Is the business of the town so flourishing that such indifference should reign? Truly has it been said, “God helps those who help themselves.”