“INTOLERABLE POSITION”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26906, 19 October 1948, Page 6

“INTOLERABLE POSITION”

SOUTH ISLAND’S SHARE PUBLIC WORKS EXPENDITURE Special to the Daily Times OAMARU. Sept. 18. “ The position between the South and North Islands has gone from bad to worse, until to-day we are in an intolerable position,” said Mr H. S. Stevens (Oamaru) at the conference of the South Island Chambers of Commerce to-day. When moving that the conference protest against the proposed elaborate, public works schemes for the North Island, while the South Island remained neglected. - Mr Stevens outlined the work proposed and being carried out in the North Island, and alleged that the South Island was being forgotten in respect to major developments. “If only we could get half the money that it is proposed to spend in the Wellington Province alone, we would be happy,” Mr Stevens said. Mr W. R. Williams, who seconded the motion, outlined some of the works started in the South Island and left uncompleted. They were growing into a state of disrepair. Mr A. S. Falconer (Dunedin) said he hesitated to join with the movers in 'forwarding the remit, because he said it would be unwise to pit the South Island against the North Island on general terms. He stressed the desirability of selecting certain objects to be completed, and suggested that they press for them fully, thus placing them on a definite basis.

Mr E. T. Beaven agreed that it would not be wise to compare the islands, and moved an amendment that to reassure the South Island that a fair allocation of public moneys was being spent in the south, the Minister of Works be asked to state the actual money spent in the two islands for the years 1946 and 1947. . Mr Williams said the amendment did not touch on the question of having work completed which had already been commenced. Hundreds of thousands of pounds had been wasted on these projects, Mr Williams added. After further discussion, it was agreed that the Oamaru delegates should table a further remit asking what money had been spent on various projects in the South Island.