The Daily News. TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 1913. THE MINISTERIAL VISIT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 215, 1 April 1913, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 1913. THE MINISTERIAL VISIT.

Tlie visit of tlie l'rinie Minister (Mr. Massey) and the Minister for Public Works (Mr. Fraser) to Taranaki this week is an event of "some importance. Tliat tliey will receive a warm welcome from all sections of tlie public is assured, for tliey come not as leaders of a political party but as Ministers of uie Crown. Xeitlier lias favored tbis corner of the Dominion with his presence for very many years, and an insight into the conditions and wants of the province will be of advantage to the Government and, we trust, of benefit to Taranaki. There are several matters that merit their careful attention. Not the least important is the Stratford-Te Konra railway line. Kor a period of aliout three or four years before Sir Joseph Ward's retirement from the leadership of the Liberal Parly the votes for this work were such as one could not reasonably. cavil at, and the. work at the Stratford end was consequently vigorously pushed forward, but since Mr. Massey's advent there has been a considerable curtailment. Kxigency of finance was put forward as the reason for putting off hundreds of the workers at this, end, but if this were the true cause, there should, now that the Government liaye raised their loan, be nc excuse for starving any logger tbis very important work. There can bo nc other public work under construction li the Xorth Island so urgent or so im portant from a national point of_ view as tbis railway line, and, if they have tin interests of the country at heart —as w< are assured by them on every possible occasion they have—the Government wil at least show as energy as theii predecessors displayed in respect to tin construction of this trunk line. Thei another urgent provincial need that wil no doubt be brought under the notiei of the Ministers, and one which canno be emphasised too much, r:; railway com munication between New Plymouth am Opnnake. The Ministers have beei told in the past by more than one de putation of the great disabilities nnde which the settlers of this fertile belt o country suffer—liow motor and vchicula services,.ha,ve been tried and found want ing or inadequate; bow the road, de spite the huge sums of money evoendei upon it, is deteriorating so rapidly tba to renew it the settlers are faced at ai early date with an expenditure almos sufficient to defray the cost of the con struction of a light nil way line. And as the Ministers will see for themselvetliis ..is the' only remedy. The Govern ment have expressed sympathy with tli building; of light lines instead of stan dard lines in certain districts and uncle certain circumstances. We would sub mil: to them that this is a very suitabl district in -which to make tlie experi ment. - There is no question-of the line' ability to pay. If doubt is entertain ed, the settlers will be prepared (as tli Ministers will be shown) to rate them selves to make good the deficiency ; and even; to.'go further, if neeessjiry, and construct -the line themselves, if legislative power be giveil them to form the districts concerned into a railway district, in a like lnanner to a harbor district, and given the necessary borrowing powers. The settlers must have improved transit facilities, and are quite prepared to pay fjnr, them. • Otherwise they know their position-will grow from bad to worse. Thei) there'is-the matter of erecting a liriclge over, the Mokau, on the main highway between Taranaki and Auckland. ■ This very necessary work, has l)een shelved by past Governments for years and years. As is known, an antediluvian ferry has been doing service instead of a ,bri( Igc. a id now tenders are being called for ail improved ferry vessel. Requirements can only be actually met by a bridge, and it is a penny wise and pound foolish policy for the Government to go an with the ferry scheme. To obtain the bridge, the settlers would be quite prepared to guarantee a part of the cost, eitlier by a rate or a toll, though why they should we cannot say, for they are penalised enough already by the bad roads in the locality and the disabilities.incidental to life in the back j Country. This brings us to. a* fourth matter we would like, to see represented to the Ministers—the bud state of the road over Mt. Messenger, which is such a severe handicap to communication between Ta-raniiki and Auckland. A good deal of improvement is. necessary lit 1" I'ore it is put in an ellieicnt condition. If th<! deviation at present be beyond the resources of the Government, the gradient could be reduced a good deal, and a lot of the dangerous corners chopped off. In any ease, the road should be metalled. Metal is, we know, a scarce commodity in Ibis locality, but burned papa has proved a good substitute in the past, and could no doubt be utilised again successfully. I'eallv, the improvement of this piece of road is of more importance than the erection of the bridge, for one can cni-s the river, though at great inconvenience. Xot always so, however, with this mountain road, which is essentially a line weather one. There are other tltiiil'.s which can profitably be brought under the notice of Ministers, but tl tosc wc 11 ;i indicated are the most important and the most pressing! and we trust Ministers will give them their favorable attention and act instead of "keeping (hem steadily in ,'iew" when the financial market is easier uid the rest of the Dominion's demands are satisfied.