MINISTERIAL VISIT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1432, 17 April 1905, Page 3

MINISTERIAL VISIT.

THE TRIP TO MOTU. •j ME. HALL JONES' IMPRESSIONS. THE WORK BEYOND KARAKA. Tho visiting Ministers, Messrs. HallJones, MoGowan and Oarroll and other members of tho party who had left for „ Motn on Thursday l3st returned to town on Saturday evening after a most enjoyable trip, tho conditions, both in regard to the weather and otherwise, being of the best. Tne Ministers were accorded a right royal reoeption along tho line, and the j arrangements made by the Railway League for the trip left nothing to be desired. Interviewed by a Times representative I upon his return to town Mr Hall-Jones I stated that he was much charmed with I everything that ho had seen in tho Motu. I “ The quality of the land exceeded my ex I pootations,” remarked the Minister, “ and I the only thing to regret is that so much of I t, (• the landis still lying idle and awaiting the I active work of the settlers. From what I I hoard all round there aro largo areas, of I land in this part of tho provinoo available I for settlement. Ido not know of any part I . of New Zealand that has greater possibili- j , : ties before it than tho Gisborne distriot. It I ( seems to me that in the past the distriot I c has boon much neglected, bat whether I ■ this i 3 owing to tbo apathy of the I f iooal people ortho administration of publio I £ .affairs I cannot soy. It i 3 ovidoat, how- I 3 oyer, that during tho last few yoars tho a ..residents of the distriot have been fully I a alive to tho opportunities in front of them. I j, The great work of roading and railing I n these lands should have been taken in I Q hand at a much earlier period, for until I the present Administration made a start I 0< /very little was dons. I have previously a j waled that at one time I expocted to be- I

come a settler in tho Motn distriot, and

from what I saw daring my visit the last , two days, I should have boon quite content ■ had 1 done so.”' \' Questioned on tho matter of tho railway Mr Hali-Jones said that there was no donbt that the railway would have to be continued to the Motu, e.nd the work ; would be carried on step by step as funds permitted. He looked upon the completion of the North Island Main Trank line as the most important colonial work in hand, and he had hopes of obtaining f authority from Parliament for suoh sums as would enable this work to bo completed j-. during the next two years. Tho-completion of this great work in tho time stated would enable larger sums to bo voted for tho

extension of tho line from Gisborne north- . wards. He wa3 pleased to see the interest ' now being taken in Auokland in regard to | the East Coast railwpy. The exact route s;: of the lino beyond Motu was at present indefinite. He had given instructions to j&‘ the engineer to obtain farther information in regard to this matter at as early

an opportunity as possible, so that the question might be definitely dooidod. > it" Speaking of tho proposed work beyond I; Karaka, tho Minister said that tho engineer had been instructed to keep on the present j hands employed on tho line. Tho ongioeer was already preparing plans to enable tho proclamation to bo issued. This would I- ptake about three wsoks, and as soon as the line was proclaimed the work would be y. taken in hand. The most important □ndortaking in tho next section was a j-tunnel boyond Karaka, but beyond that point tho formation was comparatively easy. This would bring the lino to Mr Hntchinson’s, and the next section would bo ten miles in length, coining oat at '/Neil’s rood. At the earlioat possiblo oppor- ; 1 tnuity the lino would bo locatod right through to the Mota, so that those settlers «ho hud to doal with assets in the way of -.winber would bo able to mako some pro- ; 'vision to bring it down to the railway. In reply to a question put in regard to the oondition of the road to tho Motu, Mr

Hall-Jones replied : “ The road was in i?better order than I expected to find it. I ' have had quite sufficient experience during my summer travelling to form a good idea of what the road is like in winter. I -understand that the road would be very ’"difficult to negotiate in the wet seaeon.and thoroughly sympathise with the settlers. Still the road could be much improved at a small cost. I never travelled upon any road where there were so many sharp /turns and I think that an expenditure of about £IOO would result in considerable improvement in many places. The earth could be removed and put over tho embankment at a cost of a few pounds, and i this, should be done.”

W- In conclusion Mr Hall-Joncs oxpressod great regret ttiat the time at hia disposal did not allow him to visit tho Ea3t Coast, Hi) would have liked to have boon present /*• at tho opening of the Uawa bridge next week, as ho hod a keen desire to see that portion of the colony, and this desire had been increased by what he had seen daring the past few dayg. He hoped, howT ; ever, to take, an early opportunity of visiting the East Coast-so that ho might look personally'into the requirements of tho district with a view to further develop--Boent, „ _ » Tho Hon. Hall-Jones and McGowan ;and secretaries Messrß Charles Matthews iaud G. Schmidt, and Mr A. L. D. Fraser, f left by she Navua last evening for J Napier, and will go overland to Wellington Jf-vto-day. There were a large number of f citizens assembled at tbe wharf to bid farewell to the party. ' The Hon. 3. Carroll and secretary, Mr Gordon, remain in Gisborne for the opening of the Uawa bridge atTolago Bay on Monday next.