TARANAKI'S NEEDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 October 1919, Page 3

TARANAKI'S NEEDS.

STRESSED BY MR. SMITH. EDUCATIONAL NEGLECT. (By Wire.—Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Friday. Mr. Smith (Taranaki), speaking tliis evening,' said the Budget contained no policy. Mr. Masaey had said the policy of the Government regarding education would be found in the Budget, but, as a matter of fact, the document gave Bcarcely any indication of the intentions The Education Department was continuing to send the brightest boys and girla into other walks of life, and to leave the Dominion without the teachers it needed. He would await the promised Education Bill with very great interest. He could tell the House that Taranaki's need of additional school buildings was very urgent and that absolutely necessary work, including the disestablishment of certain district high schools, was being held up by the Education Department. There was an infant school in New Plymouth containing over 200 children. The floor space was only 1800 square feet, the building was over 40 years old, and the stair consisted of three teachers and a probationer. The building did not even comply with the Department's own regulation requiring 12 square feet of floor space for each child. That was a typical case. Education could not proceed satisfactorily under such conditisns. Mr. Smith said he believed five or ten years would elapse before the Governpower scheme reached Taranaki He urged the Government to facilitate the New Plymouth Borough Council's scheme for the development of power at a station that probably'would be able to serve a large part of Taranaki.

He believed the interests of the soldiers were being protected in land purchases in Taranaki, where the Land Board had taken special care to prevent the men going on the land under conditions that would preclude success. Mr. Smith made, a strong appeal for the construction of backblock roads. He quoted cases of Taranaki settlers, who, after years of struggle, had been compelled to throw up holdings owing to lack of access.

He repeated his appeal for the refund of the butter tax to the producers. Mr. Massey: It is before a Parliamentary Committee now.

Mr. Smith: I hope if that report is favorable the Government will do justice to the producers; He added that he believed an attempt- would be made shortly to fasten upon the country a costly and oppressive military system Something had to be done to improve the physical condition of the manhood of the country, but he was not going to support an elaborate military system with four months' training in camps.

Mr. Smith referred to Taramiki's ironsand. The value of the ironsand had been proved conclusively. A process of smelting was available. The difficulty always had been lack of capital. A furnace was available in New Plymouth, and he suggested the Government should set aside a substantial sum of money for the testing of Taranaki ironsand and Parapara ore. The oil deposits, also, should have State attention, and he emphasised the importance of the Mokau coalfield. "As a matter of fact," added Mr. Smith, "Taranaki is the most wonderlul province in New Zealand. It is th* most thickly populated outside the and it is the best wealth-pro-ducing area in the Dominion." In conclusion, he assured the Government that the country was tired of party wrangles and profiteers, _ and that the future was going to see young New Zealanders running their own country.