HON. GEORGE FOWLDS AT TE AWAMUTU.

Waipa Post, Volume I, Issue 9, 16 May 1911, Page 2

HON. GEORGE FOWLDS AT TE AWAMUTU.

OFFICIALLY VISITS SITE OF TOKANUI reformatory.

DEPUTATIONS TO ADVOCATE MUNICIPAL MATTERS.

The Hon. Geo. Fowlds was in the district on Friday, and officially visited the site of the Tokanui Reformatory. Arriving at midday, the. Minister was conveyed from Te Puhi to the reformatory site, where hs was engaged on departmental business throughout the afternoon. He was then conveyed to Te Awamutu, where he remained until his departure for Auckland next morning. . DEPUTATIONS.

It was only to be expected that the opportunities offered by the visit of the Hon. Minister would be taken advantage of by local bodies to bring municipal matters under the notice of Cabinet. Accordingly, Messrs White and Bockett, as representatives of the Te Awamutu Town Board, waited upon the Minister. The first matter dealt with was the £2OO grant for Teasdale Settlement roads and footpaths. It was pointed out that the Hon. Dr Findlay received a former deputation on this matter so favourably that, on his advice, the Board had made application for the necessary grant, which the hon. gentleman had supported. When the supplementary estimates came forward this vote was included, but, in gazetting, the title was altered, and so the money became\ the property of the Waipa County Council, to be expended oh the road from the railway to Teasdale Settlement, instead of for roads actually within the Setttement boundaries. It was pointed out that on private individuals forming a road the work had to be sufficiently advanced to be approved of before being taken over by the local body ruling in the district, but the Government had gazetted this road and handed it over to the Board in a very unfinished state, leaving them no alternative but to make the best of a very bad bargain. .It had cost a very considerable amount to do even what had been done up to the present, and as the Minister could no doubt see was far from passable even now. Drainage works alone had cost £SO, and, in anticipation of the money being forthcoming, the Board had expended more than its • funds would, allow, The residents .of the township —more particularly Crown tenants living in the estate —were much incensed at the diverting of the £2OO, and the letter Ironr “Ratepayer,” published in our issue of Friday, was read to the Minister. The deputation suggested that the money should not be allotted until the next estimates came forward, when they could make application for the error to be rectified. A letter was produced as recently received from the Public Works Department,, and submitted to the Minister.

The Hon. Minister, replying, said the. position was a peculiar one.' The County Council had to congratulate itself on getting £2OO for which it had never applied. From the Public Works letter submitted it was evident that the money would be expended, and the Board were advised to renew their application when the estimates were next being prepared, to which application he would give his full support, as the roads were, as pointed out, in need of some very necessary repairs. The deputation made reference to the great need of a few alterations to the present Railway Station at Te Awamutu. This matter, too, had been brought under the Hon. Dr. Findlay’s notice and had been promised his full support. They renewed their former request that a verandah be erected. It was estimated that the cost of this work would be about the benefit derived would be felt, not only by local people, but by the travelling public generally. This station, as a stopping place for refreshments was naturally used very much, and on a wet day for the want of a verandah the public had to suffer considerable inconvenience. Reference was made to the increased returns of the department and the rapidly growing district, both of which warranted the outlay.

The Minister, replying, said that he would represent this matter to the Minister tor Railways and would support it as far as possible. He wanted to be sure that, were these improvements effected, that the present accommodation would meet the requirements for some time to come, as it was ho use effecting improvements 6nly to have to

erect a new building within the next few years. The proposed new Post Office was next mentioned. Correspondence as read showed that the Public Works Department had advised the Town Board that they were treating the work as an urgentfone. That was two months ago and the deputation requested the Minister to mak^ inquiries as to what was beitog done. It needed no words to explain the great need of more accommodation for this Department as the obselete building now answering the purpose caused great inconvenience to department and public alike. The Minister assured them that the work was evidently well in hand as shown by the correspondence and at no distant date the actual building operations should be commenced. However, he would refer the matter to the Minister for Public Works and endeavour to facilitate matters.

INTERVIEW. ~ Interviewed by the WAIPA POST representative, the Hon. Minister expressed great pleasure at the progress that was so very evident in the district. He anticipated that Te Awamutu would, at no very distant date, be classed among the leading inland towns of the North Island and he was pleased to see that so many permanent works were being effected throughout the township. The cutting up of the Teasdale Settlement had been one of the main factors in bringing about the progress of the last few years, and from enquiries made it seemed that but four sections remained out of 120 offered some three years ago. The work at the Tokanui reformatory was at present only in the very elementary stages, but he hoped, at no very distant date, to see a considerable number of buildings in course of erection. It would take some time to complete the whole scheme, but, when effected, it would be of infinite value to the district from every standpoint. The residence of the officer-in-charge was now in course of erection, which was but the forerunner of the main buildings. In the Te Awamutu township the building trade seemed to be very brisk, and in this, as in every other instance, the prospects were good for a very prosperous future.