THE PUBLIC WORKS POLICY.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11153, 20 December 1901, Page 5

THE PUBLIC WORKS POLICY.

THE MAIN TRUNK LINE. WHOLESAI>E "DISCHARGE OF LABOURERS. SUFFERINGS OF THE SETTLERS. [smaux. to "xhb pstma.") WELLINGTON, December 19. The Special Commissioner of t3» North Island Trunk Eailvr&y League, who is also tie chief reporter of the "New Zealand Time*," has been on a cruise 'of discovery up the line, and fuitnishes his paper with some rather startling facts regarding the position of affairs. He states that cumbrous and unpractical methods are in vogue in oocoecfcioa witl* the Hakolane viaduct, and that during the last thirty or forty days the overseers an the Ta&hape section, of th« railway works have been busy sacking -hands wholesale. W&en the writer arrived «6 Taihepe to-day he found the whole place in a simmer of indignation. It transpired that the whole of the men on the Tai)iapenPa«Dg©roa section of railway works hand been tifewharged from the works a* short notice. Some of them had cleared out without paying theix bills, others <bad made whole or partial settlements with thteir creditors, and leaving their wives and families behind, had go&e afar in search of employment, and others werehanging about the hotels t-jwodng their little savings and waiting for something to turn up. The works are stopped, and the men liave all been "fired out," only the inspectors and deputy-inspectora and bad debts remain. TMa has fteen a hard knock for the Taiibape storekeepers amd tradesmen, who bad built up their busioesees and provided themeelws with stores on the assumption that the Government would <lo7as any private individuals would do, viz., take advantage of tine anmmer months and persevere steadily with the work whiefcl they ihad taken in ©and. Now they will nave to face & heap of bad debts and overstocked gihelves, and the merchants who ifoave supplied them will have to 'Wijisfcte down, the wind for the money. "The «niver«al'testimony ibtere," he continues, "is that ducktg the winter months, when the roads were surte-deep in mud, and the cuttings ahill of slips, the Departmental overseers kept) dozens of teams on, the roada carting rails and other heavy material in small quantities, but at great expense, wihfle the co-operatives were kept knee-dieep (shovelling mullock jnto trucks. Now that a spell ot fine, dry wea-tthkr has eet in, and the main roads are comparatively good, the teams Ibave been taken off and the men dischaonged. People up here fail to understand this peculiar system, and the imprecations against the powers that be are both loud aod cteep. The men have been sacked, tho teams are standing idle, the works are deserted just at the very time when in the interests of public policy and in consonance with ordinary common sense methods the whole thing ought to be in full swing. Indignation meetings and deputations to Ministers both by the co-operatives and the settlers are talked of, but hopeless cleepond'ency is the prevailing tone. For years the eettlers in these districts have fought' and struggled, making homes for thßrnselvee and improving their holdings in the fond but delusive belief that they could rely on political promises, and! that within a reasonable tune the iron horse would come puffing into Taihope. Now the realisation seems aa remote aa ever. Meanwhile, witth the extension of settlement, traffic is increasing,, and the roads are getting worse and worse. • Laefc winter they iwere barely passable for vehicles. This winter the eettlers predict that the coaches and waggone will b& stopped altogether, and the eettlers will get Tbaek into the pack-horee era. The reason of this is allegedly that votes which had been made have not been expended, and that the Land and Survey Department, which is responsible for the condition of the main and arterial roads, has neglected -to keep & proper topping of metal on them. Further, settlers have informed mc that on the specific assurance of officers that road-making was to be vigorously prosecuted this summer, and that oarts and teams would be required for the work, they were induced, to mortgage their holdings, purchase horses and vehicles, which tiey worked at a loss carting material during the winter months, only to find that they had been grievously misled, t tJxat tto work is to be done. 'The pjsifcion of the dairy ,t&obaty suppliers ab Utika ie typical of the encouruigexnent <whioh,-is being given to land eebtlement and learning tnasoita in t"his part oS fehe world. I heard tie. story from the lips of some of. the sebblexv to-day. A number of them are living on a road at some distance from the factory. A vote Tiad been placed on the Estimates for that road) and never expended. A few showere of rain came, and the road is blocked. The eettlers cannot get their milk to the factory, and they have to throw ib away."