BETTER ACCESS TO COAST

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 November 1933, Page 2

BETTER ACCESS TO COAST

EFFORTS OF MR P. J. McLEAN. No •opportunity to further the agitation in progress for better access to the West Coast, is being neglected by Mr P. J. McLean (President of the Greynwuth Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Greymouth labour Board). During his visit to the North Island, from which he returned to Greymouth yesterday, he made fuitiier representations to the Prime Minister (Mr G. AV. Forbes) and others. - , In the course of an interview he gave to a “Star” representative, today, Mr McLean stated that, on reaching Christchurch from Greymouth, last Thursday week, he attended a combined meeting of the Chamber of Commerce and the Automobile Association, at which delegates from the Greymouth Automobile Association were also in attendance. After discussion. Mr G. R. Harker (President of the Grey mouth Association) suggested that Mr McLean should, while in Wellington, interview the Prime Minister and Mr J. O’Brien, M.P., with respect to better access to the West Coast. Mr McLean met Mr O’Brien, who arranged an interview with Air Forbes.

During that interview, Mr McLean stated the case for improved access. Mr Forbes asked whether the local bodies would subsidise the Government in the matter. Mr' McLean replied that the local bodies were bled drv at the present time, and, although he and Mr O’Brien had represented the case, showing the necessity for better access to the West Coast, the fact remained that the Waimanariri River was in Mr Forbes’s electorate, and, its bridging was his job. It was hoped ‘that he realised the need for action. Representative meetings had been neld in Christchurch, and. in Mr i.icLean’s opinion, it would be advisable to do something as early as possible. Mr Forbes would not be left alone, until something definite was done. Mr McLean pointed out that several former Prime Ministers and members of Parliament were always •doing their utmost /for their' electorates, and Mr Forbes, in his position as Prime Minister, had a unique opportunity. The Prime Minister promised to see what could be done in the matter, and he has replied in similar terms to the Canterbury organisations. Before leaving Greymouth, for Christchurch, Mr McLean discussed with the Resident Engineer of Public Works (Mr T. A. Johnston) the advisability of an investigation of the possibilities of a route to and from the West Coast via the Amuri Pass. Mr Johnston expressed the opinion that the route might be good, because one could reach the Pass in two and a-half hours from Greymouth. From th© West Coast side, there did not appear to be any great difficulties, as the ground seemed to be of a flat nature. The adoption of such a route would also open up Crown land. Mt McLean made this suggestion to the combined meeting at Christchurch, and explained the position by the aid of a map. The secretary of the Canterbury Automobile Association (Mr nawke) stated that he had heard of the Amuri Pass route, and was much impressed. Mr McLean also suggested to the Prime Minister that the possibilities of the Pass route be investigated, as it meant a shorter way of access to the West Coast. Mr Forbes, however, stated that he could not think of three separate routes being opened. Mr McLean pointed out that, if the Amur! Pass route were more economical, it would be worthy of investigation. He also interviewed the Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works Department (Mr McKenzie), and explained the necessity for better access from Canterbury. Another interview was with Mr Laurenson, assistant-engineer to the Highways Board, in the absence of Mr Tindall. The case for the completion of the Kumara Junction-Flowery Creek. Road was also placed by Mr McLean before Messrs McKenzie and Laurenson.

COMMERCE CONFERENCE

After doing what he could with regard to various West Coast matters, in conversation with Government officials at Wellington, Mr McLean attended the* annual conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, at Wanganui. He stated that a splendid address was given by Mr L. A. Paish, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner, who recently attended a conference in the Old Country. Although not referring directly to the subject of the exchange rate, Mr Paish inferred that it certainly did not tend to improve the relations between the Dominion and the Old Country. They were part of one family, and should all work together. The conference was unanimous with regard to the inadvisability of Government interference in business. Local government expenditure was touched upon, and considerable discussion took place with regard to the Reserve Bank scheme, the Government being criticised for its undue haste in pushing forward this measure. A telegram of protest was forwarded immediately, as the House was in session, asking that a special committee be set up, to go into the matter. A reply was received from the Minister of Finance, asking for suggestions from the Associated Chambers. The general opinion of the speakers at the conference was that the Reserve Bank should be removed from the sphere of political control, and great exception was taken to the suggested confiscation of the gold of the other trading banks. The matter of unemployment was fully gone into, and it was urged that the Government should concentrate on schemes which, after full investigation, showed a reasonable prospect of paying interest and amortisation.

Railway competition was discussed at length, and. in view of the fact that the Chambers of Commerce had advocated that a Board be appointed apart from political control, the matter was referred to a special committee, to bring up a report. In seconding the resolution moved by Mr A. E. Rankin, of Wanganui, “That this conference records its regret at the difficulties brought about by the uneconomic competition inaugurated by the Railways Board, aud calls public attention to the matter,” Mr McLean said that there certainly appeared to be a co-ordination between the Transport Board and the railways. Although business men agreed that the railways •should be made to pay, the public should bo considered in the matter While appreciating the work done by ( the Railways Board, it was necessary that its duties should be defined. There I was no cheaper method of carriage than by water, and there was every opportunity for water carriage in the Dominion. The railways must understand that, if they made a loss, the public had to pay both ways. He re-

ferred to the port of Greymouth, and stated that rates had been placed in vogue by the railways to the detriment of the port. Whether the Railways Board should control transport throughout the country was a matter of great importance to the business men. In the interests of the Dominion, the cost of transport should be reduced, and, while realising the difficulties of the Railways Board, there should be a co-ordination of ports to endeavour to increase the shipping of the country. A New Zealand shipping company had, to a large extent, been taken in by other companies, because there had been no encouragement for New Zealand shipping. Railways interference was a detriment to shipping, and the Board should not have dictatorial powers in transport matters, which was resulting in a mon opoly for the railways. There should be a definition of the Board’s powers. Exception was taken by the conference to legislation by Order-in-Coun-cil. and also to the Board of Trade A.ct. It was also resolved that the Government be requested to give every assistance to commercial aviation in New Zealand.

During his stay in Wanganui, the secretary of the Harbour Board showed Mr McLean over the whole of the harbour works. Owing to the enormous debt of the Board (£600,000), not a great amount of work was being done. In Mr McLean’s opinion, the methods adopted at the port of Greymouth compared more than favourably with those at Wanganui. Owing to the. general depression, the Wanganui district was suffering severely, while the local body rating was particularly heavy, 'rhe Wanganui Chamber of Commerce extended every courtesy to the visitors, and entertained them at a number of social functions, a vote of thanks for the hospitality being moved by Mr McLean. While in Wanganui, lie met many ex-Wcst Coasters, including members of the Glenn family, and Messrs Arthur Biguell, Robert Russell and E. Kilgour.