MINISTERIAL THANKS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19338, 31 May 1937, Page 3

MINISTERIAL THANKS

"GENEROUS HOSPITALITY" WELL ARRANGED TOl'll "LI.VK-WLKK" MEMBER The thanks of the Minister of Public Works and Transport, the Hon, R. Somplc. to local bodies and their officials wore extended al a lunc given by the W'aikohn C'mintv Council anil le KarnU Town Hoard on Saturday, when ho also took the opportunity ol paying a tribute to the manner in which the lour Hi the ttnv of Plenlv electorate was arvnnged l.iv the member. Mr. A. Cordon llultquist, M.P., to whom the Minister referred as n "real live wire.". ■

"I wish to publicly thank through the press.•" Mr. Somple said, "those counties riidil. throughout the Bav nf Plenty electorate. We have received at their hands kind treatmeni and sublime ami generous hospitality, and I wish to thank the members "of the local bodies for the way they met me and presented their cases to mo." Better Conception of Problems Sonic of the counties he had visited lmd very great problems. One of the biggest problems in some was the burden of Maori rates, arrears ol which in one county alone totalled £2B.CCO, while another county was so poor it was under a commissioner.

'MI is my intention." he said, "to use all the money at, my disposal to give a greater measure of assistance to such counties as those are situated. It is not lair to impose more taxes on them because they cannot, pay. and it is not fair to keep them in the mud because they cannot, pay."

His tour had given him a better ooncoptiofi of the problems which the c fv ~,uueils had to face. lie thanked the officers of the counties for the way in which they had co-operated in the work of the department, and also expressed his gratitude to ine member for the district on the way ill which the tour had been organised. "The Pace Too Hot" "If I have any complaint against, Mr. llultquist." the 'Minister proceeded, "he has made the pace too fast. Whatever people may think of Mr. llultquist s polities, thev must confess that he is energetic. He is a real live wire. He has arranged tins tour well. It is one ol the most difficult constituencies to travel over. The loading facilities are bad, the configuration of the country is difficult, and the engineering problems are dilhmil. and to travel through it one has to |«. a voting and virile man. Anything I ran do as Minister of Public Works to hasten tlie completion of the fOtuling SYSInn of (hose enmities I will I Illy too pleased to do." ||,. added thai he wished, to do llii host, lor Ihe back country settlers irrespective of their politics, for when measuring out public funds polities should not enter into it at all. but maximum service should be aimed at.