Waverley

Patea Mail, Volume XLV, 21 April 1922, Page 3

Waverley

(From our Resident Kepresentative)

MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS.

X VISIT TO WAVERLEY. The Hon. . G. Coates and party after leaving Patea paid a visit to Waverley where they woro entertained at dinner the Minister afterwards receiving deputations in the supper room of the Town Hall. Before the deputations were received Mr A. J. Adlam, Chairman of the Town Board, tendered the Minister a hearty welcome to Waverley and expressed the hope that he would see his way char to grant the requests that would be made to him.

Mr Dixon, M.P. then briefly introduced the deputations. Mr Adlam on behalf of the Waverley Town Board asked for a new Post Office lice for the town. The present building he said had Been service for many years and the residential portion was condemned some years ago. Also the site was not very convenient. A new building was a public necessity and he urged that a sura of money be placed on the Estimates for the work. Mr Adlam also referred to the main street which he said was used more by the outside public than by the people of the town. At present they were spending three quarters of the rates to keep the road in decent repair. He asked for a subsidy to have the work properly carried out. Mr Belton on behalf of the Patea County Council asked for a £1 for £1 grant for the Waitotara suspension bridge, the Omata road formation, the Moumahaki Valley bridge, and several other road works. Most of the work' he said, would be purely manual labour and the Department would be assisting to alleviate unemployment by giving immediate authority for the work to be carried out. Several of the items were on the estimates but authority to proceed with the work had been cancelled.

Mr Coates said most of the matters referred to would come up for consideration.

Mr Gregor McGregor next urged the need of a telephone on Mr Porter’s property which he said was between two bureaux and about four miles from the nearest. In the winter the road was impassible and he had no means of communication with the outside world. He urged that Mr Porter's residence be made a bureau as there wore several other settlers who would make use of it.

Eangitatau or Lower Waitetara roads —Mr Belton asked for £IOO to complete the sand-rocking of the road.

Messrs Mason, Barnes, Camp, bell and Hughes of Moeawatea, also waited on the Minister. Mr Mason said that some years ago the Government ngro. d lo a road from Wavcrlcy to Eltham via Moeawatea. Part of tho work had boon carried out but there was six miles to be completed' to give access to 12 settlers. Most of these men wore returned soldiers, who, after their return from tho war, found the road in the same conditions as when they went away. They had no access to their properties up to tho present time. Timber had been cut for a bridge and it had lain and rottedv since J9IG. £2OO worth of steel had been deposited near the spot some years ago and was still lying there. He urged the Minister to do all he could to have the work car. ried out.

Mr Cole endorsed Mr Mason's rc marks.

Mr Dixon promised to make the trip in company with Mr Ball during the month.

Mr A. L. Elruslic, President of the Waverloy branch of the N.Z. Farmers' Union brought up the matter of increas. cd telephone charges. The farmers, he said, would protest against any increase.

Mr Coates: The farmers need not worry.

Mr E. Dixon, in a brief speech supported the deputations, who he said would get a fair deal from Mr Coates, who had a special sympathy with buckblocks settlors, having experienced some of their hardships himself. He felt that they all had his sympathy; the only question was how to find the money. However ho was confident that the Minister would do all in his power to assist them. With regard to the Moeawatca, ho intended to visit that district shortly. His ambition was to visit all the back country but his time was limited. He was rather surprised that the demands of the Waverlcy Town Board were so modest. He, could not understand why they had not asked for a now school teacher's residence as well as a new Post Office.

Mr Middleton said that in regard to the teacher's residence they were in need of a teacher at the present time, but he very much doubted if they would get an efficient teacher to come to Waverley owing to the bad state of the residence which he considered should be condemned.

Mr Coates in reply thanked the Chairman and committee for meeting him and joining him at dinner, also Mr Dixon lor accompanying him on his tour. With regard to the teacher’s residence the matter did not come under his department but he would refer the matter to the Minister of Education. Re Maoawatca, Mr Ball, the engineer, he said would bo visiting the district and ho would do all possible to get the work completed. He considered that the hackhlocks settlers should be assisted before anything more was done to the main roads. lie Porter's phone Mr Coates said he was quite in sympathy and he thought the matter could be arranged satisfactorily. General. — There were several other matters which had been brought up bo. fore but he had not yet received a com-

pletc report on the work necessary. As regards the Waitotara Suspension Bridge ho understood the work had been approved. He promised to advise the Council in a few days. He had already wired his Department. As far as the main road was concerned' ho must adhere to his former decision. He had travelled over the road that morning and he could not find .much fault with it. Local bodies were 'mot paying sufficient attention to the weight carried on roads and bridges. A good many bridges were not built to stand the loads that they were asked to carry. However he would refer the matter of a grant for repair to the Railway Department. The policy of the Public Works Department was to give access to the back settlers. He desired to complete as far as possible work that had been started instead of starting new work. He believed that his Dc. partment was spending the money that was available for the benefit of the country generally. He would inspect the Post Office and if possible would recommend that a sum be placed on the estimates for a new building. In conclusion the Minister thanked the Chairman, committee and deputa. tions for the hospitable spirit in which they had mot him and promised to give their demands fair consideration.