MR. MCNAB’S TOUR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2101, 29 January 1908, Page 2

MR. MCNAB’S TOUR.

INTERVIEW IN AUCKLAND. MINISTER RETURNS TO WELLINGTON ON SATURDAY. Press Association. AUCKLAND, Jan. 28. In tho course of a chat this a Iternoon concerning his tour through the East Coast lands, tile Hon. Mr. AfcNab (Minister for Lauda) said that a groat stretch of country classed as pastoral in that district had .a stockcarrying capacity equal to the best land in the Dominion, and but a small portion could be called poor. The East Coast country had not developed as it should according to its productiveness, because it had been hampered by lack of communication. Thoro was a lack of natural ports and harbors, and the centres of trade could not draw fully oil the resources of this country, die believed that the export of 'frozen lambs, which was the most profitable part of the .sheej) industry, was less in comparison to tho number of stock in Poverty Ray than in any other part of New Zealand. This was due to transport difficulties, as there were only twenty miles of railway in the whole of that vast stretch of good country. Dairy factories must rend their products long distances, ind this meant deterioration in quality, and heavy expenses in freight. Railway connection with Auckland, and insulated trucks, would assist the East Coast dairying more than now grading stations. The same argument ri garding the position of the export of lambs applied to dairying. There were less milking cows in proportion to the number of cattle on the East Coast than anywhere else. All this loss of profitable outlets was due to the want of good communication. Auckland (Mr. AlcNab continued) has another aspirant for North Auckland trade, but whichever centre first established railway connection with tho East Coast adder I a new province to its trade area. Tho line from Gisborne through Motu to tho Bay of Plenty is thought by some to bo a costly undertaking, owing to the rough nature of the country, but it is nothing of the sort. I have been over the route with capable officers, and the line is estimated to cost- no more per mile than other lilies in New Zealand. With the work already done on the GisborneTe Karaka line, and the route surveyed, Gisborne must bo linked with other centres by way of Rotorua. The extension of the railway from Gisborne to Motu would open some timber country, and the line would •lot have to wait for full completion before it proved payable. Moreover, it would pass through extensive settlements. -From Motu to Opotiki is do miles by the present track, hut ■he new road will reduco the distance to 36 miles. The railway, when finished through here even, will have settlements all the way, and besides tapping extensive forests of timber, vill open a vast stretch of country to settlement that no one can now touch, owing to want of communieaL; on. I do not think that once railway connection is made between Gisborne and Rotorua that it will be 'ong before the line would bo pushed southward to Wairoa, and after that probably Napier. According to Mr. McNab, the drainage operations on the Pi.iko swamp are in full swing, and will proceed moTo ,rapidly when the re-cently-ordered dredges arrive in the Dominion. The present operations affect about 75,000 or 80,000 acres, ou one side of the river only. The work is going on at a very satisfactory rate, and .the State ie going to get profit this time, he concluded decisively. To-morrow Mr. McNab goes on to visit AVaerenga Experimental station, and will spend the night at Taumarunui. He intends to proceed oil along the route of the 'Main Trunk line through Raurimu and Taihape, reaching Wellington on Saturday.