NOT JUSTIFIABLE

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 68, 17 September 1936, Page 11

NOT JUSTIFIABLE

A PROPOSED ROAD

MR. SEMPLE'S STATEMENT

Interviewed by a "Post" reporter to-day-in connection with the letter from Mr. Hicks, the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) said it was quite true that the Stewart Island County Council had suggested the commencement of a certain work for the relief of the local fishermen. This was the construction of a road from Half Moon Bay to Mason's Beach.

"As the plight of these fishermen had been brought under my notice,"'said Mr. Semple, "I gave instructions for a report on the proposal to be.submitted to me. A telegraphic report was received from the Resident Engineer at Invercargill, who knows the locality well, and this indicated that the proposal put forward was estimated to cost. somewhere in the vicinity of £20,000. In the opinion of the engineer, it did not appear a justifiable work, and I informed the Stewart County Council on September 14 that until I had sufficent information at my ,dis« posal to enable me to decide on the full merits of the, proposal, I was not prepared to malje any financial provision for it, and I pointed out to the council tfiat the position of these fishermen could be eased if the council would expedite the submission to my Department of the plans and specifications of works for which financial provision had already been made on the Public Works Estimates. These moneys are available, and the council could commence several jobs immediately its plans are approved.1'