WORKMEN'S HOMES.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 81, 3 October 1904, Page 6

WORKMEN'S HOMES.

THE CLAIMS OF OHARIU VALLEY. DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER FOR PUBLIC WORKS. A numerous deputation of settlers from Ohariu and Crofton, introduceu by Messrs. Field and Wilford, M.H.R.'s, waited on the Minister for Public Works this morning to oring before him certain claims of those suburbs to consideration. Mr. Field said the deputation wanted either a road or a tramway from Crofton to Ohariu. The Government was fully alive to the necessity for getting pecple out of the cities into the suburbs, and particularly was that desirable in the case of Wellington. There were not many outlets from Wellington for people to go, where land could be got, at a reasonable price, and the Ohariu Valley was eminently suitable for this purpose. There were many hundreds of acres of flat and rolling land, thoroughly fitted for workmen's homes, which could be acquired at a cheap rate, but it was utterly useless at the present time owing to its distance from Wellington by the existing roads. Tho distance was now about ten miles, but if the proposed new road was constructed, it would be re- j duced lo four miles, and in some cases three miles. ' He thought the Government should give assistance in. such cases wherever possible. Mr. Wilford spoke on similar lines, and went on to urge that the Government could never satisfactorily acquire land for workmen's homes until it took the land compulsorily, instead of inviting applications from people to sell their land. Mr. Turkington, Chairman of the Road Committee, thanked the Minister for having sent out a surveyor to survey the proposed line of road, and in regard to the valley, he urged that it was one of the finest places in the colony for the purpose proposed. In some cases workmen had taken up land there, but had found the distance from Wellington too great. If the road as proposed was made there was one area of 2UOO acres which could be acquired by the Government, and he urged that such an area opened for workmen's homes would be a great advantage to the City of Wellington. The settlers were prepared to contribute £ for £ for this work, and he urged that they were well worthy of consideration in that they had never had any consideration from the Government up to the present day. The Engineer had estimated the cost of the road tunnel at £9000, but they reckoned that a tunnel for a tramway could be put in "for less, and that the whole work could be completed tor aoout £12,000. 'Mr. Whitebrow urged that the valley was eminently adapted for factories and slaughterhouses, while the climate was in 1 every way far better and far warmer than that of Wellington. The latter fact in itself would be an inducement to people to go and live there. Mr. Bryant pointed out that there was a bay on the coast — Smith's Bay — which would make an ideal watering place. As to the price of land, he said that eleven acres had been sold for £250, three acres for £300, and nine and a half acres for £450. Replying to these and similar representations, the Minister promised to pay a visit to the valley, if possible before the end of the session. The strongest point, he continued, that had been made that evening was the necessity, of acquiring land for workmen's homes. They all knew the high rents demanded in Wellington, and it was the duty of the Government to acquire further land near the city for workmen's homes, and from what he had heard that evening the prices of land at Ohariu were not unreasonable. It occurred to him that if the Government was going to acquire | that land, it ought to do it at once,' before a road or a tramway was made, because as sure as either was constructed, they would want more for the land. He would draw the attention of the Minister who had control of that work to what the deputation had said, and ask him to consider the advisability of acquiring it. The position of permanent residents hi the district would be benefited by such acquisition, because the Government would do what it could to put the people on the sections, and to give them facilities for coming into town, whether by road or tramway. He could not promise to put a sum on the Estimates this year, but before he made any recommendation to the Cabinet, he would get further information from the Departmental officers, and consider as to having a survey made of the tramway route, the suitability of the land for workmen's . homes, and he would then lay the matter before Cabinet whep dealing with the Public Works Estimates.

Mr. Justice Edwards, Mrs. and Miss Edwards have arrived from Auckland, and are staying at the Hotel Cecil. Between fifty and sixty residents of Petone met at the Central Hotel on Saturday night to do' honour to an act of valour by a, young man, Donald Sinclair. The incident giving rise to the assemblage, which was only briefly referred to in the press at the time, occurred early last month, when Patrick Butler, employed on the railway improvement works, was overwhelmed by a fall of earth from the hill in the vicinity of the station. Sinclair rushed with others to the rescue, and had succeeded in partly unearthing Butler when another fall of earth was seen coming. The rescuing party got out of danger, leaving young Sinclair, who persisted in standing by Butler in spite of the dangeV and the imploring request of Butler to leave 'him to his fate. Sinclair, however, put his hand over Butler's face and interposed his body, and the falling earth completely covered both men. The rescuing party quickly resumed work, and in a short time Sinclair was freed, but half an hour elapsed before Butler was out of danger. It was to {mark their appreciation of Sinclair's bravery that the men engaged at tha works decided to initiate Saturday night's function, which took the shape of a dinner. The Mayor of Petone (Mr. G. London) presided, and in the course of his tribute to Sinclair said the incident was another demonstration of the fact that men, time and time again, were in the pursuit of their work doing deeds just as heroic as many deeds on the battlefield which were more liberally rewarded. Mr T. vl. Wilford, M.H.R., on behalf of the assemblage, presented Sinclair with a handsome gold watch-guard and Maltese cross. The guest of the evening, who it was mentioned served in the Boer War, took his honours very modestly. The rest of the evening was spent with toast and song. The Railway Department is thoroughly satisfied with the manner in which Messrs A. and G. Price, of the Thames, are carrying out their contract for the construction of ten locomotives for the Government lines. Two of the engines have been taken over by the Department after running satisfactory trials, and two more are approaching completion. The first of the locomotives built by the Messrs. Price is a tank engine with a traction power i of 14,3701b, and is superior in many respects to the locomotives running in the mail service between Napier and Wellington. It is to be placed on the Wanganui section. Messrs. Macdonald, Wilson, and Co. advertise the salo on Thursday next of two business building sections with frontages? to the main Hutt road, part of the wellknown Tame Estate, Lower Hutt. A large sale of galvanised iron and building material at Popham's old stables, Aitkenstreet, will be held on Friday, at 11 o'olock fh&rn.