"THE NORTHERN PULL."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17649, 9 December 1920, Page 6

"THE NORTHERN PULL."

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SOUTHERN COMPLAINTS. PROGRESS LEAGUE'S CRITICISM, [BY TELEGRAPH. OWN CORRESPONDENT.]^ WELLINGTON. Wednesday. Complaints that Auckland is gettin™ too much public money were made at a meeting of the Wellington Progress League. Mr. G. Mitchell, M.P., secretary of the Jeague. declared that larger appropriations bad been voted for the Auckland province than for the rest of the North Island with Marlborough and Nelson, the latter having the larger population, and that the proportion actually expended was further in favour of Auckland. He said the votes placed on the Estimates have little or no face value, and merely delude the people concerned into the belief that they are getting or are likely to get the vote expended and the work carried out. Referring to the Napier-Gisborne railway, Mr. Mitchell said :—'"There is no question that this railway is one of the most urgent and important in the Dominion. It will open up more country than any other railway, not excluding those in the Auckland Province. Vet it has received very unfair treatment in comparison with those in the .North. J. would also draw yuur attention to the Stratford in Trunk railway. It is said that some tunnels and bad country are holding up the western end, but as this country has got to be pierced, there is no apparent reason why the work should not be pushed on at both ends. If the line were completed, the trade would naturally go to the Stratford end, but so long as the line is unfinished, the trade from the eastern end will go to Auckland and the Taranaki people can be forgiven when they feel an injustice at what thev consider an unfair pull to the northern city." Mr. W. A. Veitch. MP., said a trifle over half of the money spent in the Dominion on roads had been in Auckland's commercial zone. The figures were: Auckland zone, £321,894: and the rest of New Zealand, €515,269 for the last year; and the votes for the coming year Auckland zone, £789,000 and " the rest of Mew Zealand, £798,000. Mr. Stuart Wilson said the movement to shift the capital to Auckland had been strengthened. He had even known Wellington businessmen to go up North and come back imbued with the idea. Mr. Yeitch said Auckland members formed the backbone of the party in power, and Auckland was organised to the full, knew what it wanted, and was out to get it.