SIR JAMES ALLEN'S TOUR

Evening Star, Issue 16988, 10 March 1919, Page 7

SIR JAMES ALLEN'S TOUR

The Acting Prime Minister (Sir James Allen) returned to Dunedin on Saturday evening. He left Tapanui on Saturday morning, and motored via Moa Flat and Beaumont to Lawrence, and from there he came to Dunedin by train. At Heriof a deputation of business men waited on the Minister and preferred requests in regard to extended telephonic facilities and alterations to the stock loading yards at tho railway station. At Moa Flat a number of settlers placed matters of local interest before Sir James. Mr G. Love said that what they _ wanted were closer settlement, a railway into the district, good roads, and educational acL vantages —the two last wept hand in hand. The small country school was unsatisfactory. The wrong class of teacher was sent—-the young man or woman (usually a woman) just out of the Training College, who bad not the experience to take charge of a number of standards, and should bo undler a head master. There were a number of small schools, and bo thought that many of these should be closed and concentrated Into one larger school, to which children could be taken by a motor service, if good roads wore provided. As for rail facilities, a railway to the district from Ediovale would bo productive right along its route. Then they wanted closer settlement for tho future development of Moa Flat.— Mr Yardley said there was a groat controvert whether the lino should be taken from Beaumont or from Ediovale. The Beaumont extension would traverse 11 miles of country that could not be improved. He was aware that there was opposition In Dunedin to the extension that would tap Moa Plat. —Mr R. Soobt: “ 1 am aware of no such opposition.”— Continuing, Mr Yardloy said that ho thought personally that the line, instead of coming from Ediovale, should come from Waikato, following Spyglass Creek, where it would traverse a valley, and frequent tunnels would bo avoided. This would also tap an area north-west of Tapanui, which was being opened up by the Government for closer settlement. At present .produce had to be carted to EHievalo, and thence to Dunedin. —The Minister, in his reply ; said it wab intended to continue tho lino from Beaumont to Roxburgh as soon as funds were available, because it was considered that was the best way to open up tho Roxburgh country*: The representations just _ made to him had been before Parliament before, and it was the business of those concerned, if they considered their claims just, to see that” tho matter was not allowed to drop. He could promise no alteration with regard to tno BcaumontRoxburgh lino. He agreed that whon the time came a line should be brought up to Moa Flat. But ho had never believed in tho- policy of doing bits of lino all over New Zealand. Ho believed in ho concentration of effort on two or three of the principal lines, and getting them completed. Ho agreed that closer settlement was essential, and also with what they had said about their roads, but the latter was more tho concern of local authorities than of tho Government. The Government did their best to make fresh roads where land was cut up, but it was not the business of tho Government to maintain them, with tho exception of some main arterial roads. As for schools, be believed in the policy Mr Love had mentioned, which had been his policy as Education Minister, and was, ho thought, the policy of the present Minister. But it was almost impossible to carry it out. Tho most satisfactory education for the country districts would bo in larger schools, with good means of access, and assistance towards transport to take the children there. That had been the policy for a long time, and the Education Department had been paying in tho backblocks for the conveyance of the children to the nearest school. At> Lawrence the Minister was entertained at lunch by the Borough Council.— The Deputy Mayor (Cr H. H. Leary) eulogised the work dono by the Minister during the war. All must approve tho stand taken by Sir James against the release of the conscientious objectors, and he trusted that this stand would be maintained. — The Minister, in reply, said that the Defence Department had had to suffer severe criticism, but, in respect to many of the matters forming the basis of this criticism, it had afterwards been found that the department had been right. Sir James paid a tribute to our soldiers, and also to tho people of New Zealand generally, for the way in which they had risen to the occasion during the war period. Ho said tho task now was to re-establish returned soldiers in civil life. Ho considered this was tho most solemn task placed in his oare. He had been responsible for tho Repatriation Act, and ho hoped that when a local committee was appointed at Lawrence it would throw itself into tho work with energy and enthusiasm. It was a greater task than raising men for the war had been, and needed a strong Government. If we were to have party divisions, with the consequent creation of a weak Government, it would he a disastrous thing for New Zealand. So, let party differences

bo put aside for the present, and the strongest possible men secured to carry on the work. “It has been said that lam not coming back to you again,” continued Sir James. “ But you must not believe newspaper reports. When I am not coming back to you I will come and tell you so first myself.” Continuing, the Minister said that the future was difficult, but all would bo well if the working people would only realise that the “ go slow ” policy was ruinous to everyone, and particularly to themselves. The employer, also, must improve his workshop and factory and seek to make his productivity as great as possible. As for the governance of the country, as long as the people thought the Government were doing everything that lay in their power, they should support them. If they did not think so, let them dismiss them. A deputation from the Tuapeka Railway League waited on the Minister while ha was at Lawrence and urged the construction of the Balclutha-Tuapeka Mouth Railway.