LOCAL BODIES' CONFERENCE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14341, 10 July 1914, Page 6

LOCAL BODIES' CONFERENCE.

DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER. tPer United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 9. A deputation from the Local uodies’ Cau.civiicc waited cm tiro Premier this evening io -place belorc mm various questions arising oat of the conference. Mr .u.is.s.-y said tnat he was glad to in git s urn i-.ii iuriiiemial deputation, and to hear liitii- xepresc.iti.uons on the imjorixisit waiters that had been engaging i. u-.t.utioii of the coaieieute, isoaiu oi tile matters he was personally acquainted v. iii*. ire aid not want to go tiuougu lac whole of the list, and would only ii. to one or two o. Hi-j mure impurta.it. As to the Hiuuuaka deviation, he wighi .say, without gmag away any Cabinet s.ecii.s, that this was a matter about wnicii the Government had practically ui.iUe up their minds. (Hear, near.) He ur.l not in van to say that they had delini.ely decided what tiny were going to a.;, out u.e matter haa been ijoioie the <.a inet. Tiny' had decided that some improvement must he made. He was surprised tnat the Hauarapa people had brill patient so long, fney bug decided ' C at. if necessary, a Commission of exports would in appointed to go into tuo . ;ioir q..Cstion and ricommead vvii.it .-.h0u1.l be done. \\ ith regard to the o>;riling up oi tiie hast Coast district, lie was not personally acquainted with liir country, but the - Minister for Public 0.0.k5, who iiad made a re cent visit, was vi i v favourably impressed v.ith it, flic extent and quality of the land far oxcmdiiig lii» expecte.tions. in view- of the favourable outlook for exports, particularly to Canada and the United Elates, rlie (Li.-rriiiaint had uccided that the coiinnunicalion must be provided, and they were going to ask Parliament for a suliicient sum of money during the present session for the purpose. Mention nad also been made of the Pougaroa settlers, who were forty miles away from a railway. He did not know exactly what could be done, but, speaking generally, tiie Government would do tlieir best to improve the position from the point of vine of these settlers. Regarding the railway station in Wellington, lie did hoc need to enlarge upon the present position. Anyone could see how- exceedingly awkward it was to have .one station comparatively close to the business centre, the other some considerable distance awav. and both thoroughly inadequate. The Government had made up their minds that a loan should bo asked for to raise sallicieut money in order to provide a proper railway station for Wellington. In the meantime it would be considered whether it was possible to bring all the railway trains to Lainbtou Quay station. The new manager was preparing an elaborate report on the railways of the country, witli recommendations as to what should be done in all important matters. That report would be very soon available, and he hoped it would include the suggestion of the deputation. The Levin-Greatford deviation was a proposal he had heard discussed on several occasions. He could understand the advantage ot saving fifteen or seventeen miles between here and Auckland, avoiding disagreeable tunnels, and he had no doubt that in time the scheme would be canned out. He wished to as.-ure the deputation that the Government intended to do every justice to the requirements of the Wellington district without doing injustice to any other part of New Zealand.