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liNSSTER FQR WORKS
VISIT TOJSARNARVON
MR. JOHNSON DEFENDS THE
GOVERNMENT.
' Mr. . W. D. Johnson, . the Minister for.
Works/received an informal -reception;
on tne ..arrival'- of- the Penguin.m Car-;
narvon on Saturday, and a formal: re-
ception on Monday. Speaking at the j
latter reception, when the Mayor.; of:
Carnarvon presided, Mr. Johnson said
t-hat the trip was being undertaken, to
view the requirements of the, ^North-
West. The Scadda'n;Mini9try felt that
to govern a country, ? wallet; was neces-'
sary 'to see ;it.= ''{ '''Not /Ioiig'/after^the'
.Ministry was 'sworn in, the North^Wes't
members ?waited on; the Government ; to
arrange ? the tour. : ? He 'found on 'in-;
quiry that much mbrieyi had to, be spent
in the ^North-West;' .totalling ' about
& 70,000. He- also found '; that 'inain-^
tenance had.been much .neglected; ':arid
this .migh't mean heavy expenditure oj
reconstruction sinless' action ^ was im-.
meaiately taken. ; St; 1}\ '' Tas ttioiight
essential that ,the:'^inisief;for Works
should come -an d '??/'. persot ally'; inspect
that portion of1; the ; State where such
large expendituTre \yas proposed. :( He
was determined to thprbughl'y' reorgan-.
ise the rtaffi'-spj'as^to/getibetter'reEnlts/
Mr. Tin dale' had beery 'appointed ?? W^Jt
neer for the North-^cst/' ? .He^would,'
control all the supervisors aild -aisLfict
foremen, of course subject, to. the en
gineer-in-chief^ ,;The : North- WesLwas
isolated and^diflicult'tp .superyise, and
it was therefore i essential to .;.ha.ve tlie.
very best; man *for the'ppst;- Such'.a
man' they .had secured in Mr. Tina_ale.'
, (Applause!) -.'. .Afterjthe toty^'Sr/jTini
dale and HeT would discuss in' Perth 'the
requi*reme.h ts ? of ; the ; i^-qrth^Wes^1 ; ;and
he hoped 'tliey^buld^g^l'iietierra^n^
tion than had been given : ?iri^?fie'*past}
Not havingihad a. maii'-.in''. office*' wjio
personally knew/ the : North'-Westi fhey
have had ;tp; administer' by file-know-,
ledger He believed the- coast , had not
been tre^edJW-thV'ibelt^TOy^jin^ttie'
matter of tlie shipping of stock and- the
?marketingof produ^efThe'cbvernment
had gone to the ex'teht' of. deciding 'to
put a boat on . the - ctiast,-;thems'elvesl:
' (Applause;) ?) If : they J later ' oh ' ;: found
it' was 'iii the'; interest]of ' the ^people
that more boats should he put on,.;they
would do -so. :;1; ; ( Continued -' applause.) '
A '.number of. is deputations ' waited on
'Mr. Johnson 'on Monday, and IriAthc
?ourse of a long reply, the Minister said
tivat ? Carnarvon- was fair-y-Vy:ghiy rated ;
but in Ws :opinion-:the:r-;municipal:gov3
ernment of the past had ; been ;spme:
what 'careless, and it .-appeared-; to 'him
tiiat on the rating they; should^ be^aible
to make ends : meet. 3h; any ':, case a^'dis
trict of thissort should: be -elf-supportr
ing. ?- iHe understood 'the difficulty ; -was
inainly 'due to the- drought, but '; they
lnusti unfierstand .?that the ..Government
waa-' exper!encing.;a\':;4nii^r;:\'^'fficutty
owing to ;the: same circumstances. ' He
was hot in- a position to say; what- as-
'sistance ? couid be renderecl. but possibly
if tlie ?Water 'Board ^question ; was settled
^immediately, that- would ^ relieve the .situ-'
,at:on. He 'would cotiv-ey. their^r e presen
tations, to the Premier and askijhi'm to;
gto into -the-rriatter 'to:see if iome little,
iis'sistance could 'be given them ' In 'the
sliape of a loan.; In connection' with the'
construction of a. tiridge over the Gas
eoyne, il; was a matter he- would not
make ' any 'definite* v promise up
on. . It was v a :big! 'propositio,h,;
and as1 soon-jasr.Mr.- Tindale had; time
he would get .him to make; out a; scheme
a'hd 'es-tim'ate' what^a .-'bridge ^ .wSttftl cost.
Af tc-rV that ; he would go .into.'.' the matter;
He was; keenly disapppinted- with . tne
state of- affairs.'1 in 'regard- .to .water
supply at ' Carnaryohi ;^;He -, 'looked on'
water supply; as a; matter that 'shouM
receive (first; consideration in any'towhis
He was ;of , bpinipn -that; the council had
given' it only scant consideration^ .The
.stock route prbposition^was a matter on:
whicli he would obtain .a; report' as to ' its;
'necessity. It fappeared-.tovhim' slrange'
that they.' had shipped millions p£ sheep'
from the port ;iri»d had; not got astbekj
raute. ?: He would look . vinto the matter
and conVey his decision to -the member
for the distritt. - / ,;;'? -^ -v ' :','';: '.''
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