PUBLIC WORKS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 August 1920, Page 5

PUBLIC WORKS.

SLOW POLICY CONDEMNED: HOW TARANAKI SUFFERS. (By Wire.—Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night Mr. S. G, Smith dealt with some Taranaki matters in the House thiß afternoon. He said he was anxious to'know when the Public Works Department intended to adopt a more progressive policy. The Stratford-Okahukura railway, which was going to link up the great provinces of Auckland and Taranaki, was crawling forward. It would open up much splendid country, it would bring markets within the reach of people who had been struggling to develop the back country for 25 or 30 years,, but the department had sometimes employed more men on an unimportant branch railway than on this trunk line.

Then there war another Taranaki railway, the Te Roti-Opunake line, on which one man was employed; Mr. Coates: Shall we take him off.

Mr. Smith: That railway is go'ma to run through some of the best agricultural country in New Zealand. It will be a paying proposition from the day it is opened. I believe this railway has decided more elections than perhaps any other line in New Zealand. We wont to get past that stage, and have our railways built in a business-like manner in the interests of the people. Mr. Smith added that Taranaki settlers had been urging for years that Te Kniti and Waitara should be connected by road. The chief obstacle was the lack of a bridge over the Mokau River, and it was quite time that the Government proceeded-with this bridge. The Public Works Department had made an effort with the metalling of the Mt. Messenger Roßd last season, and it had succeeded in completing eight chains in one year. More energv was required in the prosecution of public works. The Reform Government had promised a vigorous policy, and he wanted to see that policy, and see it in operation.