SOUTH MAIN TRUNK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 209, 3 September 1932, Page 11

SOUTH MAIN TRUNK.

REVIVAL OF AGITATION. USE OF UNEMPLOYMENT rUKNDS SOUGHT. PRESENT WORKS DENOUNCED. "If the coming spring is a good one, half of our troubles will be over," eaid Mr. C. O. T. Rutherford, in his presidential address at the annual meeting of the Sheepowners , Union. "The past two seasons, In my opinion, have been worse than the slump. One of our greatest troubles in Marlborough is the transport of our stock and produce to market. Wβ have put up several suggestions to the Railway Board, but without result of any kind 90 far. "One cannot help but draw attention," he proceeded, "to the appalling way in which the funds of the Unemployment Board are being frittered away. It is recognised by everyone that provision of work must be made in some way for the unemployed, the majority of whom are in that position through no fault of their own; but, without wishing to be carping and destructive, I am sure there are better schemes for providing work for the unemployed than many of the sehemos laid down or authorised by the board. The whole district should strongly agitate to -have a portion, of this huge amount spent- on pick and shovel work to be done on finishing the formation- work of the Main Trunk railway by the unemployed, so- that,we would have a level roadway which, could be used by lorries luntil such time as it would be possible to go on with the railway. '.."'•'. - . "The whole of the. uncompleted .and abandoned.public works throughout New Zealand should, be Jianded, oy,er to the Unemployment Board to complete as far as possible with unemployed,funds and labour, and the. Public jWorlis Department closed down for good. . "Thousands of pounds' worth; of-huts and material are left at the ■abandoned works. They could be riised to advantage by going ou with the job.. The people pressed the Government for ; these works in the first place,,and still want to continue the agitation. The unemployed fund would shoiv a decent return and the country as a whole reap the benefit. "The Government, however, , persists in its* 10-acre farm scheme, breaking: in pumice lands, making roads, etc., buying new tents, huts and tools, .and spending thpusands of pounds with fno hope of any return. If I had the time I could tell you a lot about the pumice and scrub lands of the North that the Government fondly hopes to turn into 'cow to the acre' farms. Those farms will cost the country a million or more pounds before the Government is finished with them, and the poor unfortunates who are foolish enough to take them up will find the first year's result quite good, the second year fair, the third year not so good, fourth year worse, and the fifth year starvation. Anyone who knows the country knows what I mean. "Another Department that, in my opinion, is in need of a thorough overhaul is the Department of Agriculture. To my way of thinking it is a very costly Department, and the money it is now costing annually should be bringing much better results."