THE BAY OF PLENTY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1990, 21 February 1914, Page 6

THE BAY OF PLENTY.

VISTA OF THE FUTURE.

MR. MASSEY LMPRESSED.

Tho licaJth of. tho Prf-me Minister (the Kigl)t Hon. W. F. Massey) }jas Jreen appreciably boiiefitei by his jiist-compkted tewr of tho Bay of l'lcnty dietrJot. Mr. Massoy showed ds.% sigHs c<i improVomeat as tho trip proceeded. Everywhere on route he was accorded a most enthusiastic 'reception,' and ho was very gratified by thfise iiidieatioiis ef the estoem iii whidi ho and jjk pn'rity ar« JicW. Speaiking t<> a "fe-ald" -Jopftsfcn-tativti as to his bop'i«sstonis of the reeolit. trip, Mr. Ma.ssey said life kid been verj- much ifnpres!so<l with tins romaj-ltabld psssibi.Mtks of. the coiiutry ho had traversed, tte of tbe.la.nd was better tliaii ho had expected to find.it.' As regards the big itangitaild • sw.jm.p area .of 95.000 acres now ibefeg tiie Government, tho. Prime Minister' expressed the eoavictioii. that It would esrry a largo population and greatly iitcreaso the. Dominion's exports, partlciiiJarly of dairy ■produce. Tho land which had been diateed was squio of tho best in New ZeatoaiJ, ' and o«o advAatag© was that there would : he ail ample fail, thus obviating aiiy difficulty infcti fl.ifi drainagr. Tte. Jatter included tho iftak* sng of a new outlet for tire Bangitafti River.

"Tho whole of tliis great .area of fond will, I am cQiiviaccd, h& Utilised, by getic and imltirtrjouis. settjers," said Mr. Massey. "Tjiero is still a large Jii'ea of irnaecupied Native totd in th» Bay of district, but:as.tiro NativeMMstef (the Hon. \V. H. B'wries) seems to haro becomp jftssijssed of, the Confiterce of theXativt's, it is nratst-feaMj' certain that tiio hnA which the? now own will bo in oeciipatfon ih.theVit* far distant Mure, both by .Maoris toniihg their lands and by European settlers. While in the Tatiranga district it was" .pointed : out to mo that there is .a r<ji'y ,largo area of I'aiid belonging to. abseiiteos., , ' , Mr. Massey wcjit oft.." "Sawo of these fends compfise the arehs set aiiart .j\is't after the Maori wars for .military' sett)er« r but v-ery HtUo of it is in osculation today, Tlwro .iro many tliousafids hi [ 6:c f e i °?. tliis )a * tJ ) a « d 1 pwpijsti to osfc Paj-lia.rnent to give thfe. SovsrnmeKt. jMWiir to resume, it ijt a Mr vacation,.' fli.e proceeds to b& tended ovw i<? tho public Trustee awl ..kid for the ownei* I ifl.'ca ! se they put 111 their claims. -Bat I the lAiid itseff will be settferf as ofdiiij ary Crewii ianl," ; ; i .Mio fruit-growing capacity of, the lattd ki the Tawranga diistefet very much.' impressed '.the Prime Mjftister, He'_hi}d not the slightest hesitation in sayiiig-tlw-t in afijw years tliero would be. a very export vf apples., pears, •and steive fruits from the wjjolo of tire Bay.of Ploitty district. The soitlefs were badly in Jietd of inipravemeijt? .iii means of communicatwiij but they were looking fojwird ip a vigorous WUB-ay-eflnstrueitiiQß .poiiey, on the part ■of the. Government, and also .to :ro.ad--ms-king and btidg&'bailding in. pro;po.r----1 tien.to thoif i-equiremeats and the--irii.' portpnee of this great- part of. the'DomiiMOu. tlio settlers, lie liad' found, woro β-irvery sanguine and perfectly cftnMent ffith regard; to the <?.apa.i}i:jjti6s;bf mid' Were exv ; cee:yiiigK' p!eased.to tern..-that it was ijitendia.-to recoriVmsiice tlje can-siruc* tioivof the railway from tho Wajiri olid. ' ■ Work, on this- -sestfou of tho lineisito be restarted .almost, at oiica," sard Mr. Massey. "Arrangements are now Mivg carry oninost of theWdrfc u'n- ■ dyr tlia^toallvC£mtffi4t s system : . By this '"means'parties: ofi meii iy.Hl»'.b:e abto to talio coiitraqts,. for various sections. They. -will t bo ; abfe tft i-d/'nn theit .owil parties, and. tnate thsir own a.rrange'mejits,',' ■-.'..