THE HON. J. G. COATES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19407, 17 February 1925, Page 4

THE HON. J. G. COATES.

VISIT TO THE SOUTH. DEPUTATION" AT BLUFF. (From Oub Special Repohteb.) . , INVERCARGILL, February 16. The Hon. J. G-. Coates (Minister of Rail, ways and Public Works and PostmasterGeneral) travelled from Dunedin to Invercargill by the 8.50 express to-day. _ About half an hour later he continued his journey to Bluff, where several matters were brought before him by a largo deputation representing ,tho borough council, the harbour board, and the Citizens’ Association. In introducing' the deputation Mr P. A. do la Perralto, M.P. for Awarua, said they were very pleased to welcome Mr Coates to the district.' - ; They knew that ha took a verykeen interest in the South Island as well aa ia the North Island. Mr MaoDougall, Mayor of Bluff, said they wished to bring under the Minister’s attention the matter of the road from the town to the beach and the pilot station. Delegations had met the Highways Board with the object of having the road made a.,majn highway. It was the opinion of Uto goumnl that the whole of the r6ad . from-; Invercargill to Bluff should be a -Government road. It was a matter that concerned not only the Bluff people, but the travelling public as well. Mr Coates: That is the road from Ocean Beach? Mr. M’Dougall: The road from the pilot station to Ocean Beach. The distance il about a mile and a-half. ' A further matter to which ho wished to was the approach to the wharves. 1 The road leading to the wharves belonged to the Railway Department, and it was i. not in a very good state. They would like to see it put in better order, as the $ Now Zealand and South Seas Exhibition to be held at Dunedin was coming on and J there would be a Jot of people travelling « past Bluff. The Government had built | tue railway station on their road, and they | had no road to the waterfront. ; Mr Wiig, president of the Citizens’ Asso■i oiatiem, said that there was a fine area of 2 bush on the hillside at the back of the | town, and the borough council and the | Citizens’ Association had been trying to ? get the land as a reserve. Part of the ’■£. land belonged to the council, and part was owned privately. There wa s some of the f, ! finest scenery in this bush, and the Governjj meat could get the whole of the proporty- ; for £2600, but the Bluff people wanted only 1 the beck part with the bush on it.. That i part comprised about 100 acres, and ho % thought it could be procured for £IOOO or A £1250. Specimens of flora that could not , be found in any other part of New Zea■y land could be found there. They were only a small community, and there were v very few rich people in it, but they were k prepared to help themselves if they got I a little assistance from the Government. f Mr Porrello said the matter had been i brought before th 6 Hon. Mr M/Lood some i little time ago. This waa a national quesj: tion, aa the flora on the property was of 1 great scientific value. Ho hoped that Mr v Cbateg would represent to Mr M’Leocl the f! importance of acquiring the area, ; Sir Coates said he would like to have a : look at the place. Apparently they had not very many forests handy to Invercargill, | and it seemed a pity to allow good speciI wens to bo destroyed. His department did ynbt come into the matter, but if the specimens were worthy of preservation they 4 should be procured now. He would be I very pleased to discuss the matter with I Mr M’Leod, and would help them all he | could: J He thought it was most important jf that these forests should be set aside now -p before 1 it was too late. He hoped the k citizens were prepared to look after it and { nj ee© that it was properly handled. H© knew I his colleagues were just as much interested | In the matter as he was. I Referring to the road, Mr Coates said ho T understood that it was separate from the £ highways control. | Mr M’Dougall said it had not been de- '* cided yet whether it would be included under the Highways Act. * t Mr Coates said that Mr Marks and ho would have a look at the road. I NEW WHARF AT BLUFF. | Mr Bain (Mayor of Invercargill and chairI man of the Bluff f to tho question of the rails on" "the new' 5 wharf ">t>ich was being built. Up till the f prefent all the wharvqs had been kept in } repfMSby, the Railways Department, which j received all the foes for.haulage. The Harbour Board was very much surprised when ; it got an estimate of 'the cost of the j alterations in the yard and of laying the £ rails on the new' wharf. • ’He thought the estimate was between £4OOO and £SOOO, and y apparently the department expected the | boatck*. to pay that sum. The board felt ■| very sore about that because the Railway j' Department controlled the whole of the .f wharves and got all the haulage revenue. J If the department were going to force that ;■ policy on tho board the latter would have jjto iook round- and see if it could utilise the rrrsEhartreS to bring in some revenue for itself. #®weently the main wharf -was widened. The :} lay-out was altered and an additional road I but the question of charging the 4 was never raised. The Minis iStfer>knew as well as they did the competi- } tiorn involved by motor traffic at present. '. No motor could get on the wharves, and ■ ■ tho Railway Department was getting dll tho •i. business, but if the Government’s proposal was on the board it would have to ij oorisrddr the question of the distribution of j cargo, a considerable proportion of which I Would bo carried by road instead of on the I railways. # t* . After looking into the matters brought before him, Mr Coates agreed that tho road 5 leading to the wharf should be put in proper repair. Ho asked the Borough Counf <feil and the Citizens’ Association to take a | telly of. the traffic on the road from the a pilot station to Ocean Beach, and he would i then go into the matter with the High- | Board. The matter relating to the rails on the new wharf waa one of policy, , but he would make investigations regard-- # iiug It. I ; THE MINISTER’S ITINERARY. \ Mr- Coates will proceed to Tuatapere tos morrow morning, and after inspecting the ; Railway beyond there will return to Inver- ’ <iargill. Ho will leave for Lumsden, Te I Anau, and Manapouri on Wednesday morni >hg, and will return to Dunedin on ThursI iay night, proceeding to Christchurch on i Friday morning.