MOTOR ROADS AND THE MINISTER FOR WORKS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10057, 23 August 1918, Page 2

MOTOR ROADS AND THE MINISTER FOR WORKS

(To the Editor “N.Z. Times.”) ■ Sir,—Tho short-sighted and illiberal utterances of the Hon. Sir William Fraser at Christchurch this week, -will be remembered against him in the near future with interest, when he comes before his constituents at the next elections. Just imagine, any progressive man in his senses making the following statement, in tho twentieth century.:—'“l am not.;.gbiug...to make good motor, roads to the.-West Coast. . Tourists, can. take the railways. If they must-go to the 'West Coast they should go by rail. If they want to go by motor they can go. but I am not going to make motor roads. It is absurd. As soon as the railway is built nowadays they want a good motor road alongside.” Such an utterance clearly indicates that the hon. gentleman is unfitted for the high position that he holds in the National Government of the Dominion. He says “use the.rail..’’; God forbid that any ■ man dr'woman , whbs'd.—time is limited at the present time wbi'b without any other alternative than the mismanaged Dominion railways. Take this for an example. I wanted to go to a town twelve miles distant to see my legal adviser, and took the train that leaves at 10.20 a.m. I arrived after half an hour’s journey, and finished my work by 12.25 p.m. I was then compelled to wait till 3.25 p.m. before I could take up my return trip home. I was not a tourist, ..but it .is..well,.,known -,that-:as. ..pgnaL tourists have not got any. more timo, at their disposal, than they- can spar'd,''so ’ the quickest medium of travelling is, if they can afford it, used, so as to get over the greatest length. of country that can bo covered in the holiday. In every country in the world tourists are welcomed, and governments go out of their way to make the roads and other facilities required by the visitors to sec as much as possible in the shortest time. Again, tourists spend a great deal of money, and are a great source of .profit, to any, country that'CatoTs .for their ro--qiureniMtA and they are also the very best form of advertisement that can be had, as, if they are pleased with tho treatment they receive, they advise others,to go over tho same circuit that has gA-en them so much pleasure. The Hon. william Fraser’s statements mean to all tourists: Keep away -from- Now Zealand as we don’t want you, unless you are willing to use Herries, Hiley and Co’s slow railways, or Fraser’s bad roads. Unfortunately the West Coast is not tho, only district that-suffers from .the bad: : roads.: plague. .. Any one who’ has the necessity to use tho road from Wellington to the Wairarapa knows it to their cost. Whether it Is the fault of the Government or the County Councils, or both, 1 do not know, but I do know that tho ratepayers and the taxpayers aro not getting justice from either. I would just like to remind the Hon. William Fraser that tho roads and the cash that makes and keeps them in repair- is not his, only in very small portion, and that as the people wish for good roads it is his duty as a servant of tho people of the Dominion, at a very high salary, to do their bidding and give them what they want, as they are paying him for that purpose. Referring to the last . sentence of the Minister for Works above quoted remarks. Sure -we want good roads as soon as a railway is built, for how can we get to and from the stations to uso the railways unless wo have the medium to do so. Wo do not all livo alongside tho stations, bfit in most oases miles therefrom.'' . ' ' Trusting that tho Minister was just a bit flurried when bo made tho remarks objected to, —X am etc., A SHAREHOLDER IN THE RAILWAYS AND ROADS OF THE DOMINION.