TWO MINISTERS SPEAK AT WESTPORT

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 152, 24 March 1938, Page 15

TWO MINISTERS SPEAK AT WESTPORT

Claims On Government’s Behalf REFERENCE TO PROPOSED STEEL WORKS By Telegraph—-Press Association. Westport, March 23. The Hon. P. C. Webb, Minister of Mines, and member for the Buller electorate, and the Hon. It. Semple, Minister of Public Works, addressed a large and enthusiastic audience in the Friendly Societies’ Hail this evening. The mayor, Mr. J. Kilkenny, presided. In the course of his address, Mr. Webb referred to the improvement in the unemployment situation under the Labour Government and, dealing with the projected steel works, said that private enterprise had fallen down on the job and the Government was determined to expend £5,000,000 in establishing the works. No one at present knew where those works were to be built. Experts would go fully into the question, and if they decided that Westport was the ideal place, Westport would have the works.

The Minister also dealt with housing, mentioning the great strides made in the erection of houses. Tenders for the erection of seven houses in Westport had brought no response. The Minister said Mr. Hamilton was worrying about a spendthrift Government, but all workers were putting up records in savings banks. Mention was made of the poor wages ruling when the Labour Government took over, and of the greatly improved position to-day. Who suffered most during the depression, he asked. Business could not have prosperity on empty stomachs. Thirty millions of money were driven out of business and all this was changed when the Labour Government came into power. The farmer was given a guaranteed price and given security on his land. The Minister enumerated various other directions in which he said benefits had been conferred on the people Cinder the Labour Government’s rule. If the Opposition came Into power Buller would suffer worse than everThe West Coast was coming into its own and it would become the Taranaki of the South Island. The old slave camps were gone and improved educational facilities and benefits in public health and universal superannuation v-ipre included in the Government’s policy. Mr. Semple dealt at length with the public works policy. Improved methods had produced better results for Labour, he said, and general benefits to the community. Deeds counted greater than words. “We have done all we could. When our time is up we can look New Zealand in the face and say without a quiver that we have done the maximum that human beings could do,” he said. Votes of thanks to speakers and confidence in the Labour Government were carried unanimously. Later -a deputation waited on the Ministers regarding the steel works and obtained an assurance that Westport’s claims to be the site of the works would be fully considered when the experts had made, their reports.