PUBLIC WORKS.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 October 1920, Page 5

PUBLIC WORKS.

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE. AUCKLAND GREATLY FAVORED. HOW TARANAKI SUFFERS. Br Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Public Works Statement was discussed in the House of Representatives to-night. Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) complained of an unfair allocation of votes in favor o£ the Auckland province. He cited the amount proposed to be spent on public works in road districts, and said £789,000 was to be voted for the Whangarei, Auckland, Tauranga, Gisborne, and Taumarunui road districts compared with £858,000 for the whole of the rest of New Zealand. The proposed expenditure in the same districts on land settlement account was £109,000 out of £250,000, leaving £31,000 for the balance of New Zealand. He protested that Auckland was receiving altogether too great a proportion of public expenditure. All the Ministers controlling departments were Aucklanders, which meant that the north had far too strong an influence, which operated unfairly to the detriment of Taranaki and the southern portion of the North Island, as well fas the South Island. Nothing had been done to survey the line from Raetihi to Wanganui, which had been promised for years. The Stratford-Ongaruhe railway should be pushed on to completion, but these two lines would threaten Auckland business interests, and herein lay the source of influence working amongst them. Mr. T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Opposition) pointed to the favored treatment of Auckland, though the Minister had declared that he would push on with all main railways.

Dr. A. K. Newman (Wellington East) said it amused him to hear references to railway works being dropped, because he found votes were again proposed for all the same old lines. He protested that works outside favored Auckland were not getting anything like fair play. Mr. 0. R. Sykes (Masterton; added his protest to those already made against the unfair,treatment meted out to the rest of New Zealand as compared with Auckland in the matter of public expenditure. Mr. 0. Hawken (Egmont) congratulated the Minister on his promised development of telephone services in country districts. Mr. R. W. Smith (Waimarino) condemned the proposal to build light narrow-gauge railways, which, he said, were quite impracticable over most of the New Zealand country. Nothing less than a 3ft. Oin. gauge should ever be laid down.

Mr. !Hl. Atmtore (Nelson) the allocation of money for public works was an insult to the South Island. The Minister had the finest chance ever enjoyed by anyone who held his high office, but he signally failed, and had accomplished a most unfair allocation of national funds for parochial purposes. After midnight the debate was continued, and it was still in progress when the telegraph office closed at 2 a.m.