MINISTER ON TOUR

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19336, 28 May 1937, Page 2

MINISTER ON TOUR

WELCOME AT TE PUIA HOTEL LOUNGE ADDRESS LOCAL BODY CO-OPERATION (Herald Special Reporter.) TE PUIA, this day. An address under most comfortable circumstances was given by the Minister of Public Works and Minister of Transport, the Hon. R. Semple, in the lounge of the Te Pain Hotel last night in the presence of guests and settlors who attended for the purpose. With a warm fire burning at his back and many of the audience seated in comfort, the remainder standing around the wall, Mr. Semple gave a short talk. He said it was unusual to talk in a place such as that, and he did not propose to give a speech, but to talk to them in a conversational way.

This talk followed .a dinner given by the Waiapu County Council, and two toasts, one to the Minister and the other to the local bodies of the district.

Mr. 0. T. Williams, welcoming the Minister and proposing the toast to Mr. Semple, said that the council had applied to the Public Works Department in the past for assistance to repair llond damage, without much success, but. now that Mr. Semple had seen some of the country and the conditions the county had to ,suffer, the council hoped for better treatment.

Local Bodies' Co-operation

Mr. A. Gordon Hultquist, M.P., proposing the. toast, to the local bodies concerned, said lie appreciated the co-operation given him by the local bodies. There were seven county councils in the electorate and whether they amalgamated or not. he must say that he had the co-operation of Ihem all and also of the two town boards and two borough councils in the electorate to the extent that; he had not oxpected. This was a Tory elector ate, but he had found it was not so Tory that it had prevented co-opera-tion between him and the Government to make the country better. The local bodies had criticised the Government, but had thrown no sand in the wheels to prevent the Government carrying our ils programme. In his address, Mr. Semple said ho had undertaken the present tour to ascertain the needs of the people and the ramifications of the job. No Minister of the Crown could be expected to do a job such as his unless he understood all its ramifications. A Public Works Minister, who was in charge of the building department of the nation, could not administer in a partisan manner, and he must understand why, when and for what purpose he had to build. He must know something of the economics of what he was building for, and ho could not understand that until he knew the geography of the country. He also must understand the magnitude of any work, for he could not irnposo too great a burden on the people of the country, which comprised mainly struggling folk. County Deputations Several matters were brought before the Minister by Mr. D. W. W. Williams, chairman of the Waiapu County Council. Mr. Williams asked that subsidies should bo paid on grant, work on a higher rate than at present. The non-payment of native rates had made it impossible for the county to take up grants. The Minister replied that he had already explained that this position would be dealt with in his scheme of helping the poorer counties. Mr. Williams also asked for a subsidy of £599, previously refused, on over-expenditure on the Waiorongomni bridge, on the Tapuwaeroa road. Mr. Semple said it; was not fair of the council to over-expend on a subsidised job without consulting the department. “I will not admit that you have sinned wilfully," the Minister said, "but you have sinned. I. do not. want To unduly penalise you, but 1 want to warn you not to do it again." He said lie would go into the matter again.