A KING COUNTRY DEPUTATION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12202, 19 July 1910, Page 2

A KING COUNTRY DEPUTATION.

(Per Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, this day

A large deputation, described by' Mr W. T. Jennings (member for Taumarunui) as "united, determined, and reason, able," placed before the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Works last evening the resolutions passed at* a recent conference of local authorities of the King Country. A statement on the general demand for public Avorks expenditure AA-as made by the Prime Minister to shoAv the enormous requirements of the country. "We have already announced that it is to be done," commented the Prime Minister, Avhen Mi Jennings mentioned tliat the conference unanimously decided that Native lands should be subjected to the same rating provisions as European land. "I don't see what use it is to ask me to do something AYe have promised to do unless you doubt my AAords." "Not at all," replied Mr Thompson (Taumarunui), avlio had been asked to deal Avith the point. He did not pursue it. The next point A\'as the raiding and bridging of the King Country. "You caused many an eye 1o shine brightly when you announced' ih-.t forward policy." .said Mr Jennings, "auj for tAvo years they Avere pleased, but th\* yp^ r ._^ere has been reasonable cause foi aiasatCfaetlm;.-" 9 th^ *V&&er* '^' geftted that the n»<ta? akin « weaf f he , r P»--«-ed away befoi'o the gr**2* VOt + ed . . w e £ G authorised for expefluitufe, so . tftat tiie process ought to be facilitated/ It ) V<lß unfair to ask counties to expend (UArtirf? : ment grants unaided, and 5 per Cent. should be added for administrative purposes

Mt Sh,tw (Chairman of the. Kawhia County Council) said that this was one of the most isolated m the, King Country. The settlers were highly gratified Avith the GoA'ernment's expenditure on roads until a year ago, but since then

scarcely £1000 had been, spent m his county. The county .was., financially Aveak, because of the existence of so much unrated Native land.

The construction of the StratfordOagarue raihvay from the Ongarue end Avas urged by Mr Ryan, the pioneer settler of that district, Avho said the main road was impassable for wheeled A'ehicles seven months m the year. Several sawmillers only Avorked three months annually, and the settlers only got 6d or 7d per lb for their butterfat, AA-hereas the return m the older-settled districts AA-as lOd to Is.

Mr Loveday, a settler from Ohoura, said/ it cost £3 to £3 3s ,a ton to cart flour m that district, Avhile the cost oi' getting it to settlers south of Inangaroa, 40 miles from Ongarue,- 'was. more than the Arable of the pack-horse. He urged the national \ r alu<? of having an alternative route A'ia Stratford, between the north and south. of the island.

"The Government is very anxious to do all it can to help m every, legitimate way," said the Prime Minister, :is a pieface to his reply. It was a nrstuke to suppose that the large sum of £600,0C0 placed on the Estimates last year for roads, Avas not expended. As a matter of fact, more had been spent, so that any local difficulties Avhich had arisen had not resulted m the keeping bac'< of the expenditure. If the system of handing the expenditure on roads t:j local bodies Avas to be accompanied by a deduction of 5 per cent, for administration, there could be no doubt it Avould be preferable to revert to the old system, because the 5 per cent, deduction meant £17,000, or £18,000 a year" The Government had not yet gone, into the proposals for public Avorks this session, and Avould not do so m detail for a month or six weeks, Avhen the question of constructing the raihvay from the Onpilriio end would be considered. As m private affairs, the Government had , the "almighty trouble of the almighty dollar.'' It was trying to meet a tremendous run on expenditure, and the Government had annually to face demands for expenditure ranging from £8,0C0,00Q to . £12,000,000 before starting to- make allocations. "I'd like to make a good metalled road to v cvery settler's door m NeAv Zealand," said the Hon. R. McKenzie, "but they must wait" their turn." He prr-duced. a return Avhich indicated that £209,699 had been expended m the. Taumarunni electorate during the last two years. If tho rest of NeAv Zealand had v .similar amount m proportion to ,tbe population, the expenditure on roads and bridge:--Avould be about £8,0C0,000 r.nnually. During the - ( last three months £15,371 had been expended m the electorate, Avhich enjoyed as much expenditure as any other tAvo, electorates m the country.

Mr Jennings suggested. that th-j figures were Avrong. He had a return from the Minister to prove. "his point, signed by a Government auditor.

Mr McKenzie : "Arid I'm quoting, from a copy of it." He added that, havinvr had illustrations of the expensive results of mistakes, the Public Works Department jyas obliged to examine the plan.", of local Avorks, but ho was not insisting on this whon the Avork trus going to cos< less than £250. A good many of the troubles Avould be obviated if nc could visit the district, and he: -intended to dr this. He .thought it Avould fee a mistake to start the raihray from both ends, af .it would necessitate double- staffs. Another point A\ r as that the raihvay Avould be nearly useless* for the first eighteen miles irorn Ongarue.