THE WANGANUI.RIVER

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2120, 11 April 1914, Page 6

THE WANGANUI.RIVER

MORE REVENUE WANTED. • An application by the Wanganui Bivpr 'Itust for an additional endowment was the subject matter of representations made by a deputation which was introduced by Mr. W. A. Veitch, M.P., to the Eight Hon. W. F. Ma.ssoy (Primo Minister and Minister of Lands) on Thursday. The deputation consisted of Messrs. '£. D. Cummins (chairman of 'the Board of Trustees) and W. J. Polson, a member of the board. The position, set forth by tho deputation was that by an Act of Parliament passed in 1891 tho hoard was constituted for the purpose of conserving the river and rendering and keeping it navigable, and for that purpose certain lands were vested in it by way. of endowment. By the same Act the board was also constituted afSDomain. Board, and the Act gavs authority to the Government to vest in tho ■ board in the future any Crown lands which the Government might consider it advisable to dispose of in that way. Since then a large area of Native land has been acquired by the . Crown, and was now Crown land, and tho board asked that an area of some 12,000 acres should be handed over to it as an endowment to enable it to more effectively administer tho Act under which it was constituted. Tho land in question, it was stated, had been reported on as being useless for scenic purposes, but suitable for leasing.

The Prime Minister quoted an opinion from tho Crown Law. Office to the effect that if tho land was vested in the trust it could only be as a domain, and that any.revenue derived therefrom could only l)o utilised for tho upkeep of the domain lands and not for tho primary object of the trust —river development and conservation.

Doputationists on the other hand urged that if tho board was allowed sufficient endowments it would be given an assured finance, and would not have to periodically approach the Government for a subsidy to enable it to carry on. its operations.

Tho. Prime Minister in replying said the question arose as to whether ho was justified in giving the trust 12,000 acres for rovemio purposes. This was not the only application that had roachcd him. .Every, day he had applications from local bodies for endowments. There seemed to bo quite a craze amongst them, and ho told them. candiuiy that if he were to comply with all the requests made to him during tho last twelve- months he would not have a single aero of tho public estate loft. He had to.do his duty to.tho local bodies, but ho also.had a duty to the taxpayer, who owned tho country! Ho was prepared to recommend a 'reasonable subsidy, but tho wholo question would havo to be referred to Cabinot.