TASMANIAN FLOODS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20254, 14 May 1929, Page 9

TASMANIAN FLOODS.

WORK OF RECONSTRUCTION.

REQUEST FOR £1,500,000

As the outcome of a suggestion by the •' Come to Tasmania " Committee a conference convened by the Mayor of Hobart, Mr. Wignall, was held recently to discuss the preparation of an economic case for Tasmania to present to the Federal Cabinet.

The State Ministry was criticised for having failed to honour a promise made last session that it would prepare the case, and it was decided that a Statewide community committee be formed to undertake the matter. It was pointed out that the subject was the more urgent owing to the flood disasters and to the need for immediate action. A representative provisional committee was appointed to deal with the question from that aspect. It was stated that the Premier, Mr. McPhee, had asked the Commonwealth to make a special grant of £300,000 to lasmania, but that amount was grossly insufficient. The data on behalf of Tasmania should have been prepared in time for Mr. McPhee to use it when he visited Canberra recently. It was urged that the committee should '-consider immediately the question of trying to obtain from the Federal Cabinet a sum of £1,000,000 or £1,500,000 for reconstruction purposes, and it was contended that this would be a just reimbursement in view of the proved differentiation in the Commonwealth expenditure on public works since 1900. Attention was directed to the fact that the Commonwealth policy of protection cost the population of Tasmanian £6 a head, but it benefited Tasmania only to the extent of £4 a hcacl.