REIKORANGI DEPUTATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 550, 3 July 1909, Page 14

REIKORANGI DEPUTATION.

. ' ■ TO'DR. FLNDLAY. A deputation of rosiileota of Ecßaonrngi . waited .on the Actiuft-i'teimastor Gaietal (l>r. Findlay) yesieiday, to urge the erection of a post oflioe there.' ' ' •' . ■ ! . • Dr. Knighi, who acted as «pott*nmn« stated, that tbo residents were' seedy tu Crown tenants. They had bid, for «me yesua. ,'" a mail and telephone service. The postal offioe' was ■ only; a room little, bagger than a box—perhaps,6 x fP-in a hut or whaio, , It was possible.. for, people in other parts of the building', as , well as those in tbo public office, to bear the messages being transmitted. , The residents wouW Iflce the Department to erect a building at the junction of the Main Eoad to Upper Hutt, and tho road : toT« Horo. A good,many people went over the road from Upper Hutt to Epikorangi, which was one of the 'prettiest drives in New Zealand. • If 'it' were not po«siblo.lto erect a now building, the reeidente • desired tho Department to lease » eahatlo one. /■•• .'•.-. ■ ■-•....... . ■ ■ ■.•'■■.'•■." Mr. Sent mentioned ~th»t. a. nnmber o( residents preferred to send' their messages and post their correspondence at Wnilnuiao— three and a half miles distant. Tho'population of tho district was 250 to 260, and it was likely to increase,' as thero was eomo talk: , , of. another mill .beiiig started. Hβ.' thought .that'it wonld be better if the Got-. cniment'spent from-£SO to £100 on a now . building, instead of leasing'premisee. The Government had much more interest in Eeikorang'i than it had in some otber places V where, it had erected post offices. ' ! Dr. Pindlay: But what' it, has not' got is a groat deal of moiiey.''.,; ,'; ~;,.,' Mr. Field, M.l'., who introduced tbo deputation, remarked that he washed to tlerstandthat the present position'of affairs : wae intolerable. ', > :•-.■■;■ ~.•■':. 'Dr.-■•l |, indlay, in reply,, stated thai the total revenue per annum "for the past four, years was '£44, while tim maximum ecalo salary was'£2o. The amount of work dono at the/ofEce was. clearly too small "to justify/ tho Government in putting up.a new build- ■ ing.. There ,wero many places in the' minion which had not yet. got a telephone 3ervice. W.hat the Government had to do.termirie.wae. whether, in view of the many—? demand. , ; for facilities from air parts of the Dominion, Roikorangi was aa icell treated a* it ought to be; taking into consideration the volume of business, and amount of settlement there.; An official report.which,he had ob-; tained shewed, that it would bo out of/tb* question to erect a new building. Mr. Kent: Whoever sent in that report was biased, and I suppose it would be no good to send up an officer. Dr.-Findlay: The difficulty is that, while you have no trust in. the report, I have.. ~ Mr. Kent: The report is an insult—not only to the residents, but abp' to the Coni- •- missioner'of Lands, i'. ■ . '; . , ..' Dr. Findlay went on to .say. that if other : premises'could be leased, he would be prß. pared to consider the matter. '..' ■;i Members _of the deputation thai asked if the Minister would consider V.proposal to give a.subsidy, of £ for £ up to gay, £50. .Dr. Findlay: If you will submit thV offer in : writing,, I irill see what, can be done.