WE WANT ROADS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 169, 19 July 1910, Page 7

WE WANT ROADS.

I GEY FKCOI THE BLACKBLOCKS

tIDfISTEKIAL REPLIES TO KING COUNTRY REQUESTS.

£y Telegraph.—railiamentars- Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, Monday. An influential deputation from the £ing Country waited upon the Prime Minister this afternoon to present a jeries of resolutions passed at the recent conference of local bodies at Taumarunui. The Hon. R- McKenzie, Minister for Tublic Works, was also present. The deputaion included Messrs. Thompson l(phairinan of the Taumarunui Town Board), J. Boddie (Mayor of Te Kuitij, giaw (chairman of the Kawhia County Council), Wilkie (chairman of the Ohafcune Town Board), Scholes (chairman of the Waitorno County Council), C. Eyan (Ohura Settlers' Association), T. Winter (Taumarunui), O'Sullivan (Clifton County Council), Stevenson (chairman of the Ohura County Council), and Williams, Hunt, and Loveday (Ohura). Jlessrs. liassey. Greenslade. Poole. Phillipps. Lawry.. Glover. Mander, McDonald, and Fearee, M.P.'s, were also present. 3lr. Jennings explained that the deputation came from all parts of the King Country, and represented a very important conference recently held at Taumarunui. They were united and determined but reasonable, ana hoped that the Prime Minister and Minister for Public Works would be impressed with the position. Mr. Jennings then indicated that several members of the deputation to speak on the subject of the rating of native lands, and also on the necessity for passing legislation to enable the Native Land Boards to gram, to the lessees the right of purchase at a fair valuation.

eir Joseph Ward said that lie had already announced what the Government intended to do on these questions. It would, therefore be only a waste oi time to discuss the matter further.

Mr. Jennings remarked that one or two members of the deputation had been Epeciallv deputed to speak on those subjects. Sir Joseph: I do not want to stop any member of the deputation from speaking if he wants to, but you will only be asking us to do something we have already announced our intention of doing. Mr. Thompson: You will give us your assurance of that? Sir Joseph: I do not think you should cmre here and ask that; it is tantamount lo saying that you do not believe mc. Members of the deputation: Xo, wo do Hot want you to think mat. REASON FOPv DISSATISFACTION. Mr. Jennings said he was sure the (Prime Minister's statement would be accepted with considerable satisfaction. Another subject they desired to speak upon was relative to roading the backblocks, and that was the most important matter of all so far as the King Country Was concerned. Three counties were included in the King Country, and he would like to call the attention of the prime Minister and his colleague to the falling-off in public works expenditure in those districts. The Taumarunui electorate was worse off for roads bow than it was four years ago. In the year J9OS-9, £62,666 had been spent by the Government; in IHO9-10 £57,583 was upended in the district, and for the rear 1910-11 up till June 30 last only £8039 had been' spent. Hon. K. McKenzie: Who told you that? Mr. Jennings: I am quoting from a return prepared for mc by your Department. When the Government three years ago adopted its progressive policy of developing the backblocks, Mr. Jennings added, many eyes were brightened, but now the settlers were dissatisfied, and there was aood reason for their dissatis faction.

Mr. Seholes said that setlement had gone on in the last eight years, and the settlers had gone back 20 or 30 miles into the bush, believing that reading facilities vrould follow. That development had never taken place, and they were sorely at a disadvantage in having no means ot getting their produce to the market. Mr. Scholes further explained that the Tatunarunui conference Had carried a resolution recommending that grants as Eoon as passed by the Government should be spent by the Roads Department or the local bodies, and, if by the latter, that a iree hand should be given, and 5 per cent be allowed for clerical and other expenses, etc. HUMBUG PURE AST) SIMPLE. Mr. Stevenson, speaking as the representative of the latest county formed in the King Country, said his dis-trict was greatly handicapped in having to maintain main arterial roads, and form the same. The cost of expending Government grants was also a matter which deserved consideration, and some allowance should be made in this resp?et. The question of authority was re] erred to by ~S.Ii. Stevenson. Ho objected to the hterference of the Public Works Department in wanting to exercise supervision over both the plans and the nature of the work done in each county. If the Public Works engineer went round once a year on a tour of inspection, it would 1)8 enough. At present it was a system oi humbug, pure and simple. Mr. O'Sullivan (representing the Clifton County Council) spoke of the delays in getting the expenditure of public money in hia district in the right season of the year. As a rule the. best part of the summer was over before the Department I iegan 4o move. Mr, Shaw (chairman of the Kavrhia County Council) said the public in the King Country had been greatly pleased wta the progressive policy adopted for tte first IS months after the adoption M the Government's extensive backblock loading system. During the past twelve Months, however, there had been a period of stagnancy, and not a single contract ™d been let. Money had been voted, tat not expended. The metalling of the m ain road from Te Awamutu to Kawhia *B especially advocated by Mr. Shaw. STMTFORD-OXGABTE RAILWAY. Mr. Jennings intimated that there was °ne other resolution from the Taumaruam conference to be submitted, and that I reference to the necessity for r 6 Government, during the present ses°n, placing a sum of money on the estil es to commence the Stratford-Onga-V c at * he On ?arue end. gp. Evan, in submitting this resolution, aafl «° f tte Way in which the lla "T in o r ior industries were handicapped sai'^n, 11 °* m^wav communication. He « that some of the settlers were eomftT; , toacee pt sevenpence per pound for «!gutter, a s against a shilling received jTUiose nearer the line. He urged the IT™ te pushing on of the railway J? the Ongarue end. &hi t4 Veday Kid tllat in tJl e Ohura SvedV Were 1200 settlers, who had . j^L" r years in the hope of getting - wj communication. Settlement ©I

the land had. proceeded apace, and tte Ohura Valley was one of the most fertile in New Zealand, but, for want of an outlet, the settlers' holdings were not j worth nearly as much as they should be. At present, added Mr. Loveday, it cost the settlers as much to carry flour to tiieir homes a's it did to purchase the article. THE PREMIER'S REPLY. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said ho was fully alive to the needs of the districts they came from. The Government was anxious to do all it could in a legitimate war, but frequently difficulties arose for which it was not to blame. The amount appropriated for roads was £600,000, and it was a vast mistake to assume that that was not being spent. The amount expended, in fact, would run to considerably over £000,000. On this point, however, the Hon.. R. McKenzie would speak more fully than he could. With regard to the proposal that local ■bodies should be allowed to deduct five per cent, from grants for clerical expenses, he"would point out that it would be much better for the Department to itself undertake the expenditure, since five per cent, on £ 600,000 would mean j £IS,OOO. The Government had to step j warily, therefore, when such a proposal i as this was brousht forward. I The Prime Minister went on to say that the question of starting the Strat-ford-Ongarue railway from the Ongarue end was an important matter. Cabinet had not yet gone into the consideration I of public works expenditure for the year, and the Hon. R. McKenzie had not yet discussed with his colleagues what ! would "be required for railway undertakings. That matter might not engage attention for another month or six weeks. With the Government, as with j local bodies, it was the almighty trouble j of the almighty dollar. Each year Cabinet had to shut its eyes to claims making in the aggregate eight millions to | twelve millions per yeaT. He had before i indicated that this was one of the rail- | ways the Government intended to go ' on with, but be could not say when it j i would be commenced. Possibly, however, I it would be considered when the Public Works expenditure for the year was under review. (Applause.) RATING OF NATIVE LANDS. Mr Boddie said he would like to be allowed to express his warm appreciation jof the Prime Minister's statement in ! ! reg\rd to what the Government was | prepared to do in rating native lands and the right of purchase. It was a statement which would be received with satisfaction throughout New Zealand.

Sir Joseph Ward: I indicated when up north what would be done, and reference is also made to the subject in the Governors speech.

Mr Winter: Will the proposed legislation include native townships? Sir Joseph Ward: You will have to wait till the bill is ready and see for yourself. HOX. K. McKEXZTE TALKS PLAINLY. The Hon. R. McKenzie said he knew the difficulties which faced the King j Country settlers. The counties of j OhuTa, Kawhia, and Waitomo were ad- | mittedly amongst the worst off in New Zealand. He would like to make metal roads, if he could, all through the Dominion, but Taumarunui electorate had £200,599 spent on road formation in the last two yeare. It possessed one-seventy-sixth of the population, but, if other parts of the Dominion had a quarter as much, it would mean the allocation of eight millions per year. He did uot know how Mr. Jennings made up his expenditure list, but the correct returns showed that last year the King Country received £85.000 for public works, of which £52,000 was for roads, while for .the three months already gone of the present financial year to June 30, the expenditure had been £15,571, and not £ S,OOO, as Mr. Jennings had stated. Taumarunui got more money for road votes than any other part of the Dominion. Mr. Shaw: And we need it. Hon. R. McKerzie: I admit that, and we are doing all we can. Mr. Jennings has stated that the King Country is no better off for roads now than it was four years ago. That means that the £400,000 spent in the last four years has been thrown away. Mr. Jennings: Increased traffic and no metal. The Minister went on to say that it would be impossible to leave local bodies to carry out their own engineering works without departmental supervision. In one district in the Auckland province they now had two newly-built bridges going to pieces because there had been no approval of the plans. In the Bay of Plenty district a bridge was being built which would fall to pieces before it was finished, and at Otaki a bridge erected out of public money had fallen into the river before it was finished. He had recently issued a regulation that all works involving an expenditure of over £250 would have to be approved by the Department.

Mr. Boddie: As long as there is the £250 limit it will do away with ninety per cent of the trouble.

Speaking of the request that the Stratford-Ongarue line should be commenced at the Ongarue end, the Hon. Mr. McKenzie said he was not in favour of the proposal. At present the Government was spending £SO,OOO per year on the line. If they commenced at the Ongarue end, it would mean dividing the vote and allocating £40,000 for each end, as well as providing a double staff of engineers and plant. That would mean taking twice as long to get through from each end. Mr. Jennings: Never! Mr. Hunt: Why not give £80,000 for the Ongarue end? The Minister: Because we serve more people at the other end. However, if •the Government -desires to start work at both ends—though I, personally, do •not see why they should—it will be better to spend £160,000 per year—that is, £SO,OOO at each end. Even then it would be five years before Mangaroa was reached. Mr. F. Lawry suggested that it would be advisable for the Government to vote even a small sum to show that it intended keeping faith -svith the settlers art: the Ongarue end. The Minister replied that the matter was one for Cabinet to decide.