LAND FOR ROADING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23884, 11 August 1939, Page 4

LAND FOR ROADING

DELAY IN PAYMENT « MR SEMPLE TAKEN TO TASK „?*t f ? r€nce to' a question put to the Minister of Public Works (Mr R. Semple) in the House on Wednesday evening by Mr J..Hargest (Opposition member fbr Awarua) was made at the quarterly meeting of the council of the Otago Provincial branch of, the New Zealand Farmers’ Union yesterday. Mr Hargest had inquired about payment for two blocks of land o e J?, ky the Government in Southland, and Mr D. Grant said the Minister’s reply might have given the impression that no other land had been taken ini similar circumstances. He - spoke of land in South Otago taken for reading purposes arid for Which payment had not been made, although in some cases it was taken three years* ago. The owners would like to know the reason for the delay. A member: There is no money, In a general discussion, Mr W. Lee remarked that the Government* was "hard enough,” but it had to be conceded that "some of the fellows along the _ road line are also pretty hard. He thought the delay was due to the difficulty of arriving at settlements and that payment would be made without a doubt.

Mr Grant: I know of cases of three years’ standing and nothing whatever has been done; I lust mentioned this to show the slippermess of Mr Semple as illustrated in his reply to Mr Hargest. . • Another member said he knew of men who had been trying for months to get some satisfaction and had received nothing but “slippery replies." The chairman (Mr R, S. Thompson) ended a fairly long discussion by say? ing that obviously the position was a very confused one, and that it would be wise for investigations to be made before the council paid any further attention to it

Accordingly, Mr Grant and Mr J. A. Johnston were deputed to communicate with owners who had had land taken by the Government and prepare a case for presentation to the next meeting of the council.