MINISTERIAL REPLIES.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 July 1919, Page 3

MINISTERIAL REPLIES.

TO MEMBER’S REPRESENTATIONS

Mr T. E. Y. Seddon M.P., has received the following replies from Ministers :

AMBULANCES

From Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister of Public Health, Wellington, July Ist.

I am in receipt of your letter of tho 23rd ultimo, with reference to obtaining an ambulance for Westland district, and in reply have to inform you that arrangements have been made with the motor expert, who has recently been sent Home by the Post and Telegraph Department for the purpose of purchasing motor vehicles on behalf of the Government, to cable out particulars as to the type of cars available and the purchase price thereof. This, information is expected to come to hand within the next week or two, and on receipt I shall advise you whether it i,s intended to secure a supply of ambulances for the Hospital Boards of the Dominion. j

ROBERTSON’S ROAD EXTENSION

From Sir Wm. Fraser, Minister of Public Works, Wellington, 23th June: You will recollect that you wrote to me. in March last regarding several road matters which had been brought under your notice by settlers at Hari I-Tari shortly after your return from tho front. One of these was the completion of the road leading to the farm owned by Mrs Ford. I have made enquiries and find that the road concerned is Robertson’s Road and that the estimated cost of extending the formation to Mrs Ford’s homcsead is only £26. There is no item on the Appropriations for this road, but I hav issued an authority for £26 out of the miscellaneous items vote to the Resident Engineer, who will have the work undertaken at an early date if there is no labour difficulty.

MAIN SOUTH ROAD—ROSS TO WAIHO. From Sir Wm. Fraser, Minister of Public Works, Wellington, July Ist: You will recollect tliat the settlers at Hari Hari represented to you shortly after your return from the front that about a mile of-the Main Road between Ross and Wailio was too narrow and that vehicles could only pass with difficulty. The mile of road concerned was formed across a swamp, and the Resident Engineer confirms the statements made by the settlers that it is dangerously narrow. The estimated cost of widening the road is £4OO, and a further £BS is required for some ditching at Robertson’s Hill on the same road.

An item of £485 will be placed on the Public Work's Estimates next session, and as the widening and ditching appear to be urgently required, I have instructed the Resident Engineer to have the work undertaken in anticipation of the necessary provision being made by Parliament.

TATARE RIVER BRIDGE.

From Sir Wm. Fraser, Minister of Public Works, Wellington, July 1: —

I now desire to inform you in continuation of nij- letter of 16th ultimo, that an "assistant engineer, who recently returned from the front, has been sent to Westland to undertake several engineering surveys, and ho will survey the sites for the Tatnre and other bridges required on the Main South road between Ross and Wailio while lie is in the district.

DOCTOR. FOR KUMAR A

From Hon. W. D. MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture, Wellington, July 4th:—

Regarding the deputation which waited on me when at Kumara recently with reference to obtaining a resident doctor there and in connection with the re-opening of the local hospital. I duly brought these matters under the notice of the Hon. Minister of Public Health, who has now replied as follows: —

“In reply to your memorandum of the 19th inst., regarding a deputa-

tion which waited, on you recently with regard to the question of sta-

tioning a resident doctor at Kumara. I ihave to inform you that the Department is making every effort to obtain the services of a suitable prac-

titioner for that district. The Department, however, cannot undertake to re-open the Kumara Hospital, R being considered that there is ample accommodation available at Greymouth and also at Hokitika. I may say that at the hitter place considerable extensions to the existing hospital buildings are contemplated.”