AUCKLAND'S WANTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 837, 8 June 1910, Page 6

AUCKLAND'S WANTS.

VANCOUVER SERVICE. SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER. ' GOVERNMENT HOUSE QUESTION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.! . Auckland, Juno V. The annual dinner of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce was held to-night in Government House.; The president of thechamber (Mr. J. H. Gunson) presided, and amongst, those present , were the Prime Minister, tlie Hons. J. A. MilJar,: Geo. Fowlds, aind Dr. Findl-ay, and Mr. W. F. Massey (Leader of the Opposition). The chairman urged, amongst other things:— The early establishment of the Vancouver mail service, with Auckland as the pori of call. ' ( • Justice to'the north of Auckland railways. ' A new railway station and goods sheds for Auckland City. The representation of chambers of commerce on harbour boards in the forthcoming legislation. An amendment of the bankruptcy law in the, direction of appointing trade assignees, with central supervision. He also, suggested that the Government should assist in the holding of a large colonial exposition locally in 1915 or 1916, in connection -with the opening of the Panama Canal. Leo Myers vice-president) 6pealring upon the requirements of tlie north, advocated the opening up of the Crown, and Native lands,' the construction of a proper and adequate number of roads, the more rapid construction of tho North Auckland railway, the construction of the East Coast railway from the AVoihi end, and of the StratfordOngarue railway from the northern end. Why, he askeu, were these two latter railways only being constructed from the eouthern ends? . •

Sir Joseph Ward, in responding to the toast of ''Our Guests," said, that he and his colleagues felt very much in a-sense like the spider and the fly. In connection with the Vancouver mail service, he. said that a short; tim© ago he sent a cabte 1o the Prime Minister of Australia pointing out that Canada was_ willing to extend the service, with Auckland as a. port of call, that New Zealand was prepared to loin in the subsidy, if such an extension was granted, to the extent of ,£20,000 per annum, and he trusted that Australia would seo its way to accede to the proposal. Such an extension, Sir Joseph continued, might readily lead to the establishment of an Imperial subsidised service, and it would enable tho present contractors to place oil two more vessels of the Makura class almost immediately. He had not yet received a reply from the Federal Prime Minister, 1 but ho understood that the Federal Postmaster-General was at present in Queensland or New South Wales endeavouring to ret them to accede to the request. In those States the present service was favoured on account of tho cool chambers provided,- and they did not want New Zealand to compete, but he wanted 'to" say that if tho request to extend the service to New Zealand was not acceded 16 our clear dutv would be to get a service. Canada was* calling for' alternate tenders for the service, and we would shortly- hear what Canada proposed. , Every member of Cabinet recognised the necessity for developing the north, and by this he meant tho North Island, not the north of the North Island. As showing what the Government had done in this direction he stated that during the past four-years <£3,906,000 • had been expended on railwavs in tho North as . against. ,£2,295,000 in the South; in roads and bridges, .£1,082,000 in tho North, as compared witli ,£520,000 in the South; in public buildings, .£636,000, as against .£380,000,, in the South;' and.£3oo,ooo in telegraphic extensions in-ttio• North, as compared with £200,000 in tho South; giving a total of no less than £2,699,500 in favour of the North. Of r^^°V nt^ pent " ~ public buildings i £117,500 had been spent m Auckland City - itself. rfce Government's expenditure was limited, • and tho only -way they oould make haste was by increasing the borrowing rate of this country. Rcently New Zealand got . the best results of any of the Dominions in London, which meant a great deal..: The Government would x very cheerfully consider the representations made by the various speakers, but whether they could accede to them was' another matter. . While the. North wanted to see further settlement,' the Government- also wanted to see it, and had been and "was endeavouring to bring it about. All'the available Native lands' not required by the Natives themselves wotild bo settled and cut up as fast as possible. Some 2,500,000 acres of Native land had been acquired during tho past four years and somo. 000,000 acres of this had been already settled. Referring, to Government House, Auckland, ho pointed out that the past two Governors-strongly objected to the 'iand here being cut up as had been suggested locally. Tho letter he had sent to tho Governor, purely indicated that unless the present site was utilised for educational purposes Government House would be refurnished and maintained as before, and it was for the Auckland representatives to ventilate their views oh the matter when legislation was brought forward. The Government had no desire to do injustice to Auckland and he submitted that th© Government was striving to do justice to the North in the matter of railways, both in the matter ■of rates and construction. The too months of tho present 'year showed' a Temarkable revival in the trado of tho country, having shown an increase of .£81,500 upon that for the corresponding period of last year. ■ Mr. Masscy, speaking to the same toast, contended that tho opening up of tho Native lands was' tho most important proposal Parliament had to deal with. As an Aucklander ho protested against the abolition of Auckland Government House, claiming that Auckland, while entitled to a university, • was also entitled to- a Government House. Dr. Findlay characterised the last Nativo Land Act as the biggest advance that had ever been made in the' settlement of the' question. The Hon. J. A. Millar, in proposing "Trade and Commerce,"' dwelt upon the necessity for exports exceeding imports. The gathering was a most successful 'one.