GISBORNE'S WANTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 May 1919, Page 5

GISBORNE'S WANTS.

A MINISTER'S STRAIGHT ANSWERS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Gisborne, May 17. Sir Wm. Fraser, Minister for Public Works, spent a busy day to-day with deputations from all quarters of the district. Together with many small local matters,, a request was made to the Minister for a grant of £50,000 and a £2 for £1 subsidy for Ihe mnin arterial road between Whangapawa and Napier. Replying, Sir Wm. Fraser said that £49,000 had been set down for local bodies between Napier and the East Coast. The sum did not include railways. If the money was not expended it was not his fault; it was due to a shortage of labor. He thought the request for a subsidy of £2 for £1 unreasonable. ,

Another deputation urged more rapid construction of the railways in the district. The Minister said the department engineer had reported that he had not succeeded in grading the route north of Gisborne. That would cost not less than £25,000 to £30,000 a mile. The department could not entertain work of such a costly nature. The speakers had urged him to increase wages to 14s per day. He was not going to do it, because it would compete with private employment. He was satisfied that he could get men at 12s a day, and he saw no reason why in a year's time he should not have 4000 to 0000 men at his disposal. Land for soldiers was the subject of another deputation. The speakers said that over two million acres had been purchased in the Dominion, but very little in Poverty Bay. When the Conscription Act came into force the district scription Act came into force the district had a surplus of 500 men drafted to Canterbury and Otago, and, seeing that Poverty Bay was entitled to the same consideration as these districts, Mr. Guthrie came here, and was offered land at £lO per acre. No reason was'given for his refusal. Adjoining people had sold out lately at £l4 10s. The Minister said he would rather have referred the matter .to the Minister for Lands, who was the most earnest member of the Cabinet in this respect.