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Taranaki Daily News, 27 July 1920, Page 4

A UNITED TARANAKI. Probably no part of New Zealand has suffered so much in the past from the lack of purpose and of action as Taranaki. The powers that be have traded on the disunity, and the result is that the province, the most closely settled and the most prosperous in the Dominion, is, in the matter of public services, where Canterbury, Otago, and Southland were thirty years ago. .The establishment of a Progressive League in Stratford yesterday marks, we hope, a new era and a new spirit. The gathering was a most representative one, and the value of coming together and discussing matters of common interest was demonstrated by the decisions arrived at. Now the League will be in a position to voice Taranaki's needs and insist on their receiving the attention they merit. It is unfortunate, as Mr. Kellctt, M.P., said at the meeting, that it should be necessary to have to take such action, but every other part is organised and pressing for public works to be carried out in its particular district, and if Taranaki did not also move, it would simply be "left," as in the past. For instance, it is little short of scandalous that tho most important railway work in New Zealand to-day, as the StratfordOkahukura lino unquestionably is, should be in the position it is at the present time. We were promised by Mr. Massey—before the elections, of course —that the Government intended to schedule the new railways in tlieir order of importance, and concentrate work upon each one until it was completed, and thereby made to pay its way. It was a business-like announcement that received general approval, but during the past six months we have seen the old system of dissipating what labor ip available on a hundred and one railway works throughout the Dominion more firmly entrenched than ever, whilst Ministers are buisy explaining to a dissatisfied and disgusted public the difficulty of concentrating effort on the important lines first. The Te Rou-Opunake-Moturoa line was put in hand over six years ago. The Minister, in'

turning the first sod at Opunake, said the section to Opunake would be completed in two years. A good start was made, but the war gave the Government the excuse for stopping operations. Since the armistice, no real attempt lias been made to get on with the work, though northern lines that cannot be placed in the same category as this have been energetically pushed on with. As another instance of neglect, we need but mention the bridging of the Mokau river, a work that should have been put in hand thirty years ago. To some extent Taranaki lias itself to blame for the position it is in to-day. Had it been alive to its best interests its representa tice public men would have "got together" years ago, and simply demanded as a right these essential public works, and kept on demanding until they were completed. The League launched yesterday under such favorable auspices provides the necessary machinery for voicing Taranaki's needs, and should materially help the local members of Parliament in securing justice for Taranaki in the matter of the public works referred to.