WAIKAREMOANA LEAGUE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IX, Issue 145, 5 June 1919, Page 3

WAIKAREMOANA LEAGUE.

YESTERDAY’S MEETING.

I A mooting of the above league was held at Na.<ie r yesterday for the purpose ot considering the resolution as mentioned in our yesterday’s rc-port, passed ait a conference of local bodies on May 14th. .Continuing from our report published yesterday

Mr. Lane persisted in interjecting as to how m'any Parliaments thev would wait on and held that the last conference did not intend deputationising the next. Government.

Mr. Brown said this statement was wrong.

I The town clerk proceeded to expl.iin the intention was on the minute's. It was understood at the meeting when the resolution was’ pass'd that they should wait on this Parliament and if necessary on the ue.w Parliament, and failing in that they support the other .scheme. If they started on the private scheme •-.veil now they' would not have even their petition to Parliament ready to present before the new Parliament- was elected. His opinion was that at least ]« months would elapsebefore the poll could be taken. Mr. Lane thought they should start the petition at once. Mr. Brown said in view of the undue anxiety of the County Coin;i oil to get away from the league, he 1 w and cred if the Meat Trust was at- ' tP.<? back of this as is said to have been the case in the Invercargill .scheme. ’ k

Mr. .Toll said they had a good scheme at. Havelock and could make it. properly, but then after harnessing the ratepayers with this what would he say to them when a national svheine came along. Parochial schemes must be dropped and the league must continue on its present lines. Mr. Hague said the Government was granting licenses for the carrying out of the smaller schemes. They wanted these schemes and were prepared to take them over if constructed on the right lines. YVairca had Been granted such a license for the To Reinea Falls. At this stage the resolution was put and carried.

Mr. Lane moved an amendment, which he thought would test the general feeling of the meeting: “That ■failing a favourable answer from the Parliament we immediately set on fool, the necessary compiling of the petition of the ratepayers.” If they started on it now it would be ready by the time the new Parliament got in. There was no harm in gelling local bodies to get one-fourth of their ratepayers’ signature?.

Mr. Brown said lids would only weaken the deputation—it would bo admitting failure on the league’s part and t-he County Council had already agreed to wait. Mr. T.ane said they had made a mistake there.

Mr. Harvey said the league was in favour of a national scheme and Mr. Lane was not in order in morinc as he had d-m-'. Mr. Brown said lie could not take the motion. Mr. McKay said the league was out to do good worjr and he was sorrv to see an other body was against it. He houed the delegates would support this scheme to the end.

Mr. Beamish said at the last- meeting they unanimously agreed that the deputation to Wellington slUhild be the first move and that if they did next get the sympathetic hearing they were entitled to, the County Council’s scheme be supported. The representatives on the East- Coastmust work as one man in getting this scheme put in. The Napier and Hastings Borough Councils _ and other places where the majority of the power would be consumed were in sympathy with W-airoa’s idea to get power but they also took into consideration that _ before jiower they must get machinery, etc. Before the war Hastings, in order to further the development ot power there, ordered machinery from Home, but this was commandeered by the Government, and the manufacturers now say it is impossible tn send it out before 12 months' time. If an o-'der of five years ago cannot be fulfilled sooner how could any other body get it out quicker. The Government could get the machinery quickest. In conjunction with this great national scheme ot development we would also get the East Coast railway.. Wait art-moan a would bring the railway and . the .Wairoa people should bear this.in mind. All were m sympathy with ■ Wairoa but thy quickest way of solving the question was to all prill as one man and be united in their intention:?. He -was satisfied they.would get a satisfactory reply from Parliament .

Mr. Harvey said, unity in action was the key io the whole scheme. Thsmall schemes would mean the downfall of Waikarernoana. For years the trouble had been want of unity along- the East Coast. He was convinced the deputation would do good and we would then know what. I.ho Government intended to tl_o. JI. however. the league should tail in tlm national scheme then it would fall in with the other. Procuring machinery for this would mean considerable'delay. He appealed to the "Wairoa members to bear with the league until it had this try—then it was pledged to the other scheme. Mr. Corkill said that eight years ago lie had come down to see tne first sod of the East Coa.st- railway turned —'that was a national weenie and what had happened, to it. He «as of opinion that M aikarcmoanawould be in the same position. lie. was awfully disappointed with the meeting—he thought they were going to ask the Government- once again if they would go on with it c-r whether wo would go on .with our : •«.Tn. TVairoa was all to pieces with shortage of coal, wood. etc. It was going on with its own scheme.. Mr. Brown said we were, in the sam-’ posit-ion. Mr. Corkill replied that, they were no; prepared to wait.. Mr. Brown, continuing, said there w. tp Inige orders for machinery now ..'.'airing fulfilment and. therefore how cou’.d an order now be fulfilled ‘.oom He for one was not prepared to go to America for. goods. He honed all would be British machinery even if we had to wait. Only for th--" war a portion of the East Coast railway would have been completed. But when tOO.CCO.of our men were, away fighting things could not be expected to keep normal. Mr. Parry li.id said that- in three years, with money and men. the scheme coma i"< ..-omrue-ted. He vuuld Mr. Corkill smarting under M airoa’s pm.-.'n* drawbacks, especially in t-ne matter of coal. He considered this alone should bring pressure qu.the Government. He hop-’-d Wairoa wr.ul.t .-ray its hand until they saw the result'of the deputation.