WHEN THE SOLDIERS RETURN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14445, 3 November 1917, Page 6

WHEN THE SOLDIERS RETURN

GOVERNMENT ARRANGING AFTER

THE WAR WORK

According to the Minister of Public Works, the Government is looking forward to being able to provide employment for thfe soldiers when they come ■back from the war. Speaking *m the House recently he said: We' shall need

to provide work for many thousands of them. I am doing my utmost to provide for that. We havo to lay off roads and railway lines, and have everything ready, so that immediately our troops return I can say to the Department which the Hon. Mr Herdman is controlling:, "I tan take 2000, .3000 or 5000 men,' 1 . and know where to put them. That is what. l am doing. The Minister went on to refer to a Railways Authorisation Bill that he proposed referring to Cabinet m order to provide ample work for these men. If approved of it would include the line frpm Paeroa to Pokeno. Tliere was also thfe authorisation of the portion of the North Island trunk line from Kirikopuni to. Kaikohe, and the new line from Opun&ke along the coast to New Plymouth. This, he said, was a particularly good place to put returned soldiers to work. Not only was the work easy, but there was a very good climate. He" was going to get a working survey of tHat line completed; ,so that these men could work there. He merely men-t-'^ned this to show that he was quite alive to the necessity of having plenty Jof work ready. j" Mr Wilkinson : Would- you carry that i line round to the port?

* The Hon. Mir Fraser : Certainly, it should co ris-ht round.

The Minister, discussing the hydroelectrio schemes, fllsp . emphasised that surveys were being made ro as to have everything i*eady for 'which the soldiers "returned.