A MINISTERIAL VISIT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 134, 29 February 1908, Page 6

A MINISTERIAL VISIT.

■■ ■•. THE HON. W. HALL-JONES AT ' s . NEW POST OFFICE OPENED. Waikanae is still- much in its infancy. It has bush-clad hills and beautiful ' forn dells within a stone's throw—would that • such spot's' could live in 'towns till tlioir old ' age—ancl;its two streets can boast no moro • : vthan ;threo."oi; ; four -.stores 'and , shops. Its 1 public buildings,: so far, have boon a church, a school;; and,llr. ,Paratli's fino accommoda- . tion house.; But, like all.other parte of;the . Dominion, Waikanae is fast progressing, and - -yosterday ' a'/stdp. in .'that progress was ; inark'ed in.the opdniiig■ of a new post-office. This function was performed by the Hon. W. Hall-Jones (Minister for Public Works). ■ Tho township was cm fete. A LUNCHEON. ■ Tho Minister,- accompanied by Messrs.; J. A. Hutton "(chief postmaster at Wellington), Mr. W. S. Furby (Inspector' of Telegraphs, and Mr, W. H. Field, M.P;, was,;entertaiiied at' luncteou arrival in the Waikanae Club-room. ' s 1 - • Mr.: H. J. ..Richards (Chairman of tho Horowhenua: County Council), who presided, in proposing tho toast of tho .Ministry, congratulated tho Hdn; W,. .Hall-Jones on his : return-to'' Kealth'. : ,' ; , In 1 speaking,-,of the advance of th'o' district; he said that -when in 1893. he .first ropresehted that portion <jf tho Horowhenua County .011 the Council, it did not contain on'o inch-of metalled roads; now :a''gbod, order extended from one:end 'of tli-o, county; to tho other. : Since'-'thosd-days:.also'rivers'-tha't ?had to bo forded,': with- frequent . loss of lifo, were bridged:, •, w'' 'V , • The:\ Honr W. ■ SalUJdnes, who was Te-. ceived- intli- applause, expressed 1 his pleasure at his reception.' He "said that this was tho first public function he -had-attended since his illness-in May'last. No public man had received better treatment from /all' sections' of the of politics, than hohadj bothbefdroand after,his trip abroad. In- speaking of what'" remained to -be done to/-keop . this; country,, in' the,:.forefront, lie mentioned; our capacity t to: carry a .far greater population, and said' that if'care wero '.taken' to, bring ,out - the right 1 class -Of ■settler, it .would-'not conflict- with -those already:in.,employment, but would.properly 'assist/;the .country 'p'rodstieevcun Eiiglishdm assist' the country's productiveness; Briefly touching on the acquisition of the Manawatu Railway: by. the .Government, - the Minister. said he ibelieyed jit would have a beneficial effect -on;.,the district;-.- He' was not-inferring anything against . the;. Manawatu Railway ' Company ' in. bdc'aiiso 'lie believed" they had done good work. .".But there was this— jtliat wlien' the line,was taken oyer, 110* doubt . ho would hear-a great deal more from, tho' chairman of the county-and -,!, the member ! for the, district in regard to tho railway than lie had heard-before. ' He would give them that:"point:!"-.The,;Ministerenlarged' on : the . benefits ,of State ownorsliip ;of railways, and wont oil ..to speak of the benefits and success jof"the;- progressive ■ policy adopted by the' pre- - sent; : ; Gpvern'ment- in'; tho. matter. of postal legislation.- He eulogised Sir Joseph Ward's' initiative'.in-.this, matterj and also in tlie matter'- .of -'universal' penny 'postage. The Minister oxpressed sympathy 'with those who had suffered loss from bush fires , and : the lie. h'ad; no doubt that many would eventually rfin'd. a great-deal, of benefit in,: the clean: sweep of ;log3; and weedj. and inbbish. Many, howover, would ; probably \ bo .crippled for. some' years, and 011 behalf (of .the Government he desired to • express synipathy ivith fchemTh_e. action •of the Governnient in assisting with' grass seed and in the " fico railway- carriage of, material for destroyed houses and fences would meet with, the approval of tho.Dominion. -• Mr.-W. H.-Field, also replied to the toast.-, '

POST -OFFICE OPENED.

.The, new, post office stands, in the'centre of townshjp. on the' Upper; Hutt-Waikanao Road. _The cost.-of, the 'building;-which''is .of wood,, was £G59 10s. ; ''The' contractor was Mr. .Ernest- Smith,- aiWaikanae builder. Previously the. post: office; has been. attached to a store. • . : ;*.

The Minister, who was handed an inscribed, silver key, said that the. first .postal servico was 'started in Waikanae in 1865, under, the, charge of" tho Jato Mr. Thomas ■Wilson.. A contract at that time existed Tyith Cobb and. Company to carry a bi-weekly mail .to Wanga'nui from Wellington at an annual remuneratfoii'of-£3OOO. . To show 1 the progress of 'the "district; tho Minister said that - in 1897,, -.7215 - letters, and post-cards, jo™,-IKwtea. .and ,tcn- years later/. (1907) 0J,J62. 1 .Other articles.woroi Parcels, "etc., in 1897, ■: / 64, ■ in - The' letters and post-cards coming into.Jdio district and delivered m .1897 numbered 7707, and: in 1907, 4-1,512. Other articlos received Numbered ?o8( in 1897, and 5350 in.1907.' TliQ.inoncyordors :issued in',1899 .wore 142,•' and in 1907, 4«; in ;1899,..' 44 and in'. 1907, 61. Savings Bank deposits in 1899 were to the value of; £583; and. m 1907, £1877. Tele-gram3-sentiin. 1899 Mmbered 1875, and.in Arii even greater development, saicl. the . Minister, would now be ■ looked for. v Mr. Hall-Jones then declared tho building open, and,dispatched;a telegram, bearing on 'thq'i'oCcasion,; to tlie • Premier!'. Cheers were given ■ forVMr. Hall-Jones .and the member for, the district, two- ranks of - school-children, who had previously. ,been marched np,-joining in lustily.-. Subsequently, the; Minister attended' the public sohool- picnic and-addressed the cliild- . rqn. rA', new; te'nriis.'court. was later declared oppn f 'b'y , 'Mr';'.'Field;;.',l , With.rthe/pprfecti weather, and the splendid'■ Hospitality .of tlie' people of Waikanae, a very/, pleasant .day" was spent; :;