WOODVILLE'S WANTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1499, 23 July 1912, Page 7

WOODVILLE'S WANTS.

LAND SETTLEMENT AND OTHER MATTERS. THE PREMIER'S VISIT. (By Telegraph-Own Reporter.) Woodvillc, July 22. A number of deputations took advantage of the Prime Minister's presence in WuudTillo this evening to bring various queslions under his notice.

Members of tho Woodvillc Agricultural and lasloral Society came lo ask, on beJmll ol local farmers, that the Government should lend the association a Jersey bull, and also a Holsiein bull. Mr. Massey promised to communicate with the Agricultural Department, and iind out wiicllier the animals asked for, or either ol thorn, were available. if they wore he would give instructions to have one or both seal to Woodville for a time. Tub deputation asked that if the Government could not end the district one or more bulls, and Iho association bought one, the beast should be examined treo of cost by a. Government veterinary officer. In response to another request by tho same deputation, Mr. Massey promised to ascertain whether the Agricultural Department could undertake tho tcsthi" of local district herds. Mr J. II Escoll, jr.?., introduced a deputation from the Woodville Chamber ot Commerce and other local bodies. The iirst request it put forward was that an area ot 300 acres near Woodvillc, set aside as a forest reserve, should bo gazetted as Crown land, and thrown open for solection. A similar request was advanced in lelerenco to two larger blocks of forest reservo in the Man.iwatu Gor"c. M'r. Massey said that where land nad been set aside for scenic reserve (hero was no | loie to be said about it. The same did ot apply to forest res6rvcs. On returnuig to Wellington ho would obtain a report from the Lands Department in reference o-tlio blocks mentioned, and if (ho .report boro out what had been said, he would have tho land thrown open for settlenient with as little delay as possible. Mr. Massey was next: askeil that a block of ono thousand acres of Native land receiity purchased by tho Government should be thrown open as soon as pos-ible. If was mentioned that dairy factories wero mul iply,„ 5 ,„(]„> immediate neighbour-. hood of Woodville, but the fact that some, arid had not yet been opened up was a 1 adranco to the progress of (he iiulus- ]• 3,e Ai \ tlVo bock, was at present. I.ung, idle, and unauthorised people were running cows on it, and cutting down the Dinehased six months previously, Mr Mascey said that ho would have 'the mat;«r looked into without delav, and would ft .' lO L ™<}> department to o * iient did not intend to keep, any land p' o if C0l,!l1 V°*A it" • -Hi. K. B. Ross, ex-member for Rahiawia, raised a question in reference to the jnymont of thirds to local bodies" Asa RJiV* l "!, H r' ,ce ' s B"T T,and Board" ho had found that in addition to the cost of survey and reading (hey had to add a third of (lie price of the land acquire]a't a high price from tho Natives. TftlTh course were persisted in, settlers who took <U> land would be compelled V k,t missions of rent. Ho asked for a short .nniendmen to the Land Act to remove «»s disability. Mr. Massey prom ted to '"M "'to forthwith' ami, it necessary, to have a short Bill ChJmW'A ( J! , ' osi,lcnt o f the Woodville cn,imber of Commerce) asked tint Iho Government should 1u,4 a survey made vlk rr"'' raillra vT rauto f™»' IVood! villo (o I'onga.roa. Mr. Massey promised Another request was that tho Government should send a geologist to oxamiiu tho Maharahara coalfield; Mr. Ma'sev oil, and Woodvillc Borough Council, were ?LT"V :,Il n lhat ,h .? ™° a trough the OH ; r'" Gol P-, lk « that through the Of. ra Gorge, should be maintained us a , national road. H wa.s bounded by 're- [ serves, and no local body derived any lales from either side of it. Representatives or tho locil bodies interested snp- . ported the request. \ ' Mr. Massey, replied that ho had on different occasions exposed U,e opinion that there were some roads which local bodies could not, in fairness, be asked to maintain, and which should lr> maintained out of the consolidated fund. One of these was the Mauawahi borgo Road This would require WM a . turn, and he. did not seo much chanco ot sneh. legislation goinpc through this session, but meantime the local bodies concerned misht ask for a E ran( towards tho maintenance of tho road. \sked whether ho would eventually brinf down the legislation necessary to make the road o national highway, Mr. Massey said that this was one of the matters that would bo .?,, ,V 1 "1 '" lll ° ] -' ocal '.''overnmont Bill Ilio purchase of a property of •I wo thousand acres, near Woodville, owned by the Hon. ,T. D. Ormoml, was another sussestion put forward. M.r. Massey said that Hie Goveriiiuont was doiiiß nil that it possibly could to purchase land for settlement. He would instruct tho Land Pin-chase Board to. inspect the estalo mentioned, and report. Mr. Horn asked that access should ba given to the railway station bv means of u subway or an overhead bridge. Inconvenienco was caused lo residents by reason of the fact that the station was on the wrong side of tho town. Mr. Massey promised to refer tho malter to the Minister for Railways. A request was mado'that Woodville should be considered as a site if the Government should contemplate shifting any railway workshops. Mr. Escott pointed out that Woodville was a junction, centrally situated, and with an abnndanco of town sections available at low prices. Also the Railway Department owned fifty acres in the neighbourhood. Mr. .Tames Grant, Mayor of Woodvillc, described the improvements of the borough, and said that there, were possibilities of milling coal in. tho neighbourhood. Sir. Slassey ' said no doubt the Minister for Railways would give the suggestion (ho consideration to which, it wa.s entitled.