IN THE NORTH.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 3 June 1926, Page 5

IN THE NORTH.

PRIME MINISTER’S TOUR,

(BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.) DAE GAY ILLE, May 2.

The Prime Minister (the Hon. J. G. Coates) accompanied by Air F. D. Thomson (private secretary) and staff, arrived at Dargaviile, the headquarters of his own electorate, this afternoon. He spent the morning in the southern part of the electorate and at Ruawai, where ho received a deputation from the Railway League who presented a petition for the railway linking up with the North Auckland Arain Trunk at Paparoa. '

The Prime Afinister was not sympathetic and told the deputation that the route as recommended by the commission would be carried out and that he could see no reason why the plans should be altered. The district would do better with an improved road to Paparoa, the nearest point on the railway. A deputation from the Raupo Drainage Board, which is carrying out extensive drainage in the district, asked for Government assistance to complete the Work.' Air Coates said an officer of the department would come up and report. To-night was spent in Dargaviile where Mr Coates received a deputation asking that an early start be made with the connecting link of the KirikopuniDargaville railway, which had already been authorised. The deputation also suggested that the work was well suited to place a number of unemployed. The Prime Afinister, in „reply, said the next Public Works statement, which would be out in the matter of only a few weeks, would give all the information required with regard to the railway which the deputation had asked him about.

The rest of the evening was taken up with private deputations of which there were quite a number. The Prime Minister also gave attention to a number of matters appertaining to the district in which lie was interested as member for the district.

The party loaves in the morning en route for Auckland and Wellington. They will spend the day at the old home at Rototuna, Matakolie, probably among the pheasants, and will roach Auckland on Saturday morning.