MINISTER OF LANDS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 April 1926, Page 4

MINISTER OF LANDS

VISIT OF HON A. D. MeLEOD. DEPUTATIONS MET. The Mon A. 1). Mel.tod (Minister of Lands) arrived at Ilokitika yesterday and visited Arakura and Kokatalii during Lite day. Jn tlic evening at 8 o’clock the Minister met deputations at the County Chambers. He was accompanied by his private secretary (Mr Milligan) and Air T. E. Y. Scddon (member lor "Westland). Those present included the Hon H. L. Michel, M.L.C.. Messrs It. Ward, W. .Jeffries and T. W. Duff (Westland County Council), G. A. Perry (Alayor of Hokitika), J. Fleming, J. AV. Aforris, John Murdoch, L. IT. Morel, J. J. Mclntosh, W. H. Chinn, A. T 5. King, D. .Tellie. T. AV. Bruce. Dr Tcicheltnann and AV. P. Morpeth (Commissioner of Crown Lands). OPENING SPEECHES.

Mr 11. Ward presided, and apologised for the absence of the County Chair- 1 man (.Mr T. H. Chestcrman). Mr| Ward conveyed a welcome to the Alinister to AVesthind but regretted that' bis visit was to be such a short one. j lie considered the portfolio of Lands was a very important one to tile district. He emphasised a bright future' for AVestland now that they had the hole in the hill completed. The gentlemen present would bring before the Minister a -number of matters affecting the welfare of the district. | M.r G. A. Perry (Mayor of Hokitikajoined with Mr Ward in extending a very hearty welcome to the district. He was sure the Minister was "filling (lis portfolio of Lands with credit to himself and the Dominion at large. Dairy farming had a big future before it in this district, and he hoped that at a later date the Minister would be 1 able to make a more extended visit. Hon II .L. Michel joined in extending a welcome to the Minister to the district. He felt that if a. more extended visit were made it would prove mutually advantageous. Mr T. E. V. Scddon, -AI.P.. reiterated the welcome he had given the previous evening to the Minister at Greymouth. He was sorry that the visit was so short hut he would not be disclosing a secret when lie said that Mr McLeod intended to visit South AVestland by way of Hnnst Pass at a later date. Air ‘Scddon outlined the itinerary of the .Minister that day through Ku mara to Arahura. Blue Spur. Kokatalii and Koiterangi, including a visit to the Bimu dredge. Tie assured the Alinister of the pleasure it gave t» welcome him to AVestland. The lion McLeod thanked the speakers for their welcome and also all the kind words of the Coast throughout. Tlnl hospitality of the AVosti Coaft would lie an inducement to him to come again, if anything was necessary. His visit was much shorter than he himself would like, but that was duo to the business and administration of bis- office. There was no doubt that tlie primary producers’ position was not a very satisfactory one. It was being recognised that the position of the primary producers was getting very difficult. Besides the primary producers it was necessary for tlie secondary industries to be fostered. The difficulties of the primary producers in the United States was referred to as a very difficult situation. It was being found that there was only one class ol farmer who was able to succeed and that was that of the farmer with the help of his wife and children. If the work and hours of the farmer was counted and paid for as was those of the workers in the cities, they would find that, the farmers were not receiving one half of wlnit they should ho. He was the political head of a department in which fifty millions of the

people's money \v;is invested. One third of the settlers on the In ml were directly under the jurisdiction of his deportment. Ilfs ollieers ns n set of men were mueli criticised, hut they were a set of ollieers of over 2000, who were ardently endeavoring to carry out their duties as carefully and sympathetically as it was possible for them to do. The question of opening it]) railways was one referred to. He hoped early next year to visit South Westland. He was going to tell the people of New Zealand that if they wanted railways then the people must Use the railways more than they do. A reference had been made to the free carriage of cheap lime, but I'hal could not go on for ever. The railway had to he paid for that hy the Lauds Department. They could not carry manures free. The railways had to he made to pay. He thanked them again for the kind reception given him and would look forward to his next visit with very great pleasure indeed. HAI-T C'HKKK VOTK. Mr S't'ddon said the first matter to he brought forward was the expenditure of the llaft Creek vote of £3OO. .Mr Jeffries said this matter was a matter of urgency as affecting a number of Kokatahi settlers. He asked for the expenditure to he expedited as quickly as possible. Hon McLeod said he had sonic difficulty in deciding where these straightout grants were concerned. If they did a work once, then there should ho some local body that would keep the work in order afterwards. The lands in the vicinity were the host he had seen on the West Coast and though lie was not going back on the ,£3OO vote, he thought that an expenditure of £OOO or £7OO would he of more ad-1 vantage to the lands affected. When j tue vote was expended ho hoped tliero would ho some continuity in their efforts of improving these lands. SOUTH HOAD HKIDG ICS. Mr Seddon said the next question' was the speedy erection of bridges on the Main South Hoad and that the Wailto Bridge erection should be expedited. Particularly they asked for something to be done for bridging Dry Creek. Mr T. W. Duff' (President of the Progress League) said this matter was an important, one to the district, though not actually under the control of the Lands Department. They asked the Minister to urge the Public Works Department to expedite the work, which was not progressing as quickly as they would like. Then the small creeks on the way to Wailto had during the past season lieon a source of j much delay and annoyance to the, travelling public. Dr Toiehelmnnn supported, stating the cost of the smaller bridges was not excessive. . They wanted the bridges to he completed as soon as possible. The tourist traffic to the Wailto is yearly increasing and this season there have heett many hold-ups. Mr Bruce supported, pointing out the dangers of these creek crossings in time of flood.

Mr W. H. Chinn emphasised the danger of the small creeks in time of flood. He urged that the timber in the vicinity of these crossings if utilised, would bring the”cost down one half.

Hon McLeod said lie would pass the recommendations on to his colleague, the Hon the Prime Minister. He pointed out that the country was borrowing no to its limit, and he was quite satisfied that Westland was getting its fair share of what was going. Tf they were going to pull up the slump that had struck the country then they would have to look to the dairy industry to do so. He was not in favor

of putting up cheap structures except under very exceptional circumstances, ft was not sound finance to put in works that would no reasonably last

for the period for which the loans wore obtained. WESTPORT-GREY ROAD. "Ur Jo (Tries referred to the question of road connection between Westport and Greymouth. Thousands of pounds had been spent, and at the present moment some 2.) miles of road and three bridges required completion. The .Minister said he had on previous occasions stated he would bring the matter under the notice of the Minister of Public Works. DETERIORATED LANDS. Mr Seddon said he would call on Mr Chinn and others to speak on the question of deteriorated lands. Mr Chinn hoped that the Minister would be able at an early date to visit the southern district. He wished to emphasise the necessity of lime for the lands in the southern district. He asked for a two-tliirds subsidy on 100 tons of lime for the districts of Hariliari, Wataroa and Waiho. The land is going back for the want of lime. Mr ,1. J. McTntosh supported, pointing out the necessity of liming West Coast lands. ■ Hon IT ,L. Michel said by agreeing to tbe request, it would be doing , nothing more than the Department were doing for those settlers who were j alongside the railway line, j Mr John Murdoch (Ross) suggested I that the request for a subsidy should lie granted and that experiments be ! carried out by the Department on the lands where the lime was sent. He in timated that the Ross Lime Compam was prepared to supply lime in tin winter months at a reduced price foi I cash.

Mr D. Jellio (Arahura) spoke in regard to the desire "for the lifting ol the restrictions on first and second class

lands, placed on them in connection with mining operations. They asked for better titles to the land they now held. There were many rivers on the Coast proclaimed sludge channels and a» a result of mining operations filling up the streams, in flood time the farming lands were considerably damaged. He was making these representations on behalf of the executive of the Provincial Farmers’ Union. There wore at the present time large reservations "for mining operations. Air f.. H. Afbrel (Koiterangi) pointed out tlie necessity of using lime for Coast lands, which the Minister had agreed to during his visit to their district that day.

Mr James Fleming (Kokatalii) endorsed the previous remarks, urging that financial assistance be given for the supply of lime to the settlors. The Hon the Minister in reply said that the land of New Zealand that had not been attended to with the supply of fertilisers had all deteriorated, lie was alarmed at the gradual weakening of their pastures throughout New Zealand. AV lion the Act was brought inti force the land it was intended to benefit was land that would carry two sheep to the aero and now would not carry a quarter of a sheep. Ho had t > he very careful in making statements, hut he was of opinion that birch land did not pay for clearing. AVhcn all was said it came to what was the value

of the land per cow. The opinion had grown up that the Deterioration Act was going to improve the position of fanners, but they must acknowledge that it was not the duty of the Government to assist the mortgagee. If the Government made a reduction it was not going to he to make a present to the mortgagee at. the expense of the State. Referring to the lime question, ho sit ill they had long got past the stage when liming of land was an experiment . It was useless talking of putting lime on the land at .Co a toil, the land would not stand that cost. It was a question of costing of what the land would pay. If they opened out oil the question of subsidising tlie carriage of lime by load, it would open up an immense question of cost. He bad noted tlie statements made and would submit them to the Minister of Agriculture. The question of milling restrictions was a difficult one. Unless a uuaimity as a whole among the people of Westland was shown there would lie a difficulty. His colleague as prepared to discuss this question further.

OTllKli M ATTFUK. I .Mr Seddoii said that day at Koitcrangi a request Intel hi'cn brought before him for Station ltoail. which would prove a valuable one to the settlers. |

Mr SV<l<l<lll said another matter was the question of road access at llarihari, in time of severe flood, preventing access to the settlers’ homes. Mr McLeod said in regard to Station Road, that those interested should assist in the formation of this road, where the road would advance th» value of these lands. If the settlers <n> those affected were prepared to find a subsidy then there would he more chance of getting the assistance required. Mr Mclntosh said he hoped that

when the cutting up of lands was being done that the areas would not lie made too small.

Ilou McLeod said the question of costing of land was the crux of the whole position. He was quite ready to acknowledge that in many soldiers’ f'nrm.s the areas had been cut too small.

Mr Seddon returned thanks for the careful attention given Lo the requests of the deputations. He asked that the Minister give careful consideration to the_,feq nests put before him and trusted that favorable replies would be received in due course as a result of the representations made.

The lion McLeod thanked the speakers for the inoformation given which would receive careful consideration, lie was always grateful to hear the opinion of the men who have been on thfc land St lifetime. He recognised that there was always something to learn from their experiences. He again expressed his pleasure at meeting those present and trusted at an early date to he able to make a more prolonged visit to the district.

A vote of thanks to the Chairman for presiding terminated the meeting.