£470,000 SPENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 228, 27 September 1938, Page 12

£470,000 SPENT.

ROADS AND BRIDGES.

RAGLAN ELECTORATE.

MINISTER'S ADDRESSES.

(By Telegrap*.—Own Correspondent.)

TUAKAU, this day.

That £470,000 had been spent on roads and bridges m the Raglan electorate- during the seven years he had represented it in Parliament was a claim made by the Hon. W. Lee Martin at his Port Waikato meeting yesterday morning. Several settlers present expressed their appreciation of the Goveniinent's policy of giving every settler an access road.

At Whangarata, the Minister was subjected to a long cross-examination on the guaranteed price for dairy produce. He said that the delay in raising the local price of butter would not affect the producer, who would receive the full export price, and any deficit in the present year would be borne by the Government. The Minister promised to inquire into a statement that superfine butter was all exported and was unprocurable in shops.

In New Zealand socialisation of the land was the eventual objective of the Labour party, but probably more than one generation would puss before the people would realise that the land should be used for national good instead of for individual gain. In the meantime it was definitely not a plank in the party's platform, and no attempt would be made to bring it into force until the people had it put before them and recorded their votes in favour of it.

At a large meeting at Tuakau in the evening, Mr. Lee Martin traversed the work of the present Government, and claimed it had merited a continuance of support. He was accorded ft vote of thanks and confidence.