TAWA FLAT DEVIATION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 805, 28 October 1929, Page 14

TAWA FLAT DEVIATION

RAILWAY WORK PROGRESSES Press Association WELLINGTON, Sunday. The district engineer of the Public Works Department. Mr. It. H. P. Ronayne, stated today that it was anticipated that it would be possible to walk through the long tunnel on the Tawa Flat railway deviation work 12 months from now. This, of course, would mean that only the heading had been pierced and there would still be most of the work to do, but if this ■ was achieved—and he thougt it would ] be —it would mean a very satisfactory { rate of progress. The tunnel will be two and three-quarter miles long. The heading between the shaft and j No. 4 portal, a distance of 53 chains, ; was pierced yesterday morning and the j centre lines of the survey met within a quarter of an inch, which is in the ! nature of an achievement in the pecu- | liar circumstances. From No. 3 portal a pioneer heading is being driven level with and parallel to the central heading, with the object of enabling work to be carried on on several points at once. There still remain 114 chains of the pioneer heading to do and this work, it is hoped, will be completed within a year, which should thus see the initial piercing of the hills finished from the Hutt Road to Tawa Flat. Work on the shorter tunnel, of 63 chains, which was pierped some time ago, has been steadily proceeding. The tunnel has been widened to its full dimensions and this work is being followed up by the steel moulding shield, behind which the concrete is blown by the “concrete gun.”

MAORIS AND CHINESE

“SWEEPING ASSERTIONS,” SAYS SOCIAL WORKER EXAGGERATION CLAIMED “The sweeping assertions that have been made have been very unfair to certain fine Maori women working in Chinese gardens, unfair also, no doubt, to some of their employers. I find that these exaggerated statements have done rsal harm and injured some very good people.” These statements are made by Sister Ivy Jones, organiser of the Maori ; Girls’ Club, who has been associated with social work among Maori women for the past two years. She issues her contention in support of the superintendent of the Methodist Maori Mission, the Rev. A. J. Seamer. who claims that there has been exaggeration in many reports dealing with the association of Maori women and Asiatics. Working under the Methodist Church, with her headquarters in Auckland. Sister Jones covers the area lying between Helensville and Tuakau, which includes nearly all the Maori settlements near Auckland. “I agree w r ith Mr. Seamer’s state-

ments,” says Sister Jones. “The issue which he took up was not the exact number of Maoris employed by Chinese gardeners, but the reason for and the results of such employment. I claim that immoral relationships are not as common as inferred, while I agree with Mr. Seamer that Maori women are employed because they are efficient workers and their services can be secured at a small wage. “That a social evil does exist is beyond disoute and Mr. Seamer was the first to recognise that fact. It was he who was directly responsible for practical efforts made in the past to combat it. Mr. Seamer and his workers are dealing with the matter before the Akarana Association took it up. “‘The Maoris have no secrets from him in social matters and he controls a chain of social organisation throughout the greater part of the Maori districts, while his workers report regularly and refer their difficult cases to him. Scarcely a day passes but Mr. Seamer interviews Maori people and when necessary he sends Maori girls back to their homes. “Knowing something of the wonderful contact he has with the Maori people, it is strange to read a statement that he is not in person touch with these matters,” concluded Sister Jones. “Whether one agrees with his opinion or not, it must be admitted that his opinion is that of an expert in close touch with all phases of Maori life.”