MINISTER OF LANDS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4400, 7 April 1922, Page 2

MINISTER OF LANDS.

PAEROA REQUESTS. DEPUTATIONS RECEIVED. (Continued from Wednesday.) The Ministerial party arrived in Paeroa at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, and was welcomed by His Worship the Mayor (Mr P. E. Brenan), who was introduced by H. : Poland, Esq., M.P. for Ohinemuri. The following typewritten representations were presented by the Mayor, and read by theTown Clerk. Mr P.> C. Furley : WILSON’S ROAD. Metalling of Wilson’s Road.—We ask that a direct grant be made towards the'metalling of this road. The Lands Department has undertaken heavy carting to the Awaiti Access Road, and in consequence Wilson’s Road is practically impassable. As this road is the main outlet for Paerpa to the Hauraki Plains, Paeroa is detrimentally affected by the state of the mad mentioned!, and the Paeroa and Hauraki Plains business is suffering in consequence.

RIVER NAVIGATION. Ohinemuri . River Silting.—This deputation urges that provision be made immediately flor the dredging of the river between Paeroa and Te Aroha for the purpose of keeping the channel open for navigation; also that steps be taken to obtain another dredge, fp’r the purpose of keeping the channel open from the Puke wharf to the'river mouth. On page 12 and 13 of the report of the Rivers Commission, 1921, is the following: "Moreover, it must be borne in mind that, so far, the Public Works Department has done virtually nothing to remedy or prevent the silting up of the Ohinemuri River, or to improve such river for the purpose of navigation, notwithstanding that such works are amongst the principal operations entrusted to the Department by the Act, and are quite the. principal works in. respect of which the mining .companies and the Borough of Waihi can be, a.jid are, called upon to' contribute and towards which they have already found upwards of £20,009.” Later on in tlie report the Commissioners state that “in justice to the Borough (Paeroa) the Ohinemuri River should be cleared, at any rate sufficiently to give as good a service as to Te Aroha, namely : To make it fit for barge traffic to the town wharf. Ohinemuri River is silting up at an alarming rate, and unless steps are taken immediately to remedy this by dredging river traffic to Paeroa will shortly cease.

NEW POST OFFICE. - Erection of New Post Office. — Money is on the Estimates for the erection of a new post office at Paeroa. The Department has already a site duly approved,, and plans have been prepared. A new post office has been a long-standing want of the. Paeroa citizens, and it is highly desirable that the erection of the new building be proceeded with as soon as possible. The present building is totally inadequate, being an antiquated and ramshackle building situated in a back street out of the town. Taking these facts into consideration, we trust that the money on the Estimates, will be ’ utilised without delay, and that the new post office will be an accomplished fact during the present year. ROADING REQUEST.

Roads in Government Township.— The Government township is that portion of the town which the Government had the freehold; having acquired same from the natives and lessees, and subsequently put up and sold as building sections.. In many cases a considerable advance was made on the upset price, and it is assumed that the upset price included the cost of forming the roads, and metalling them.; The Paeroa Borough; Council took over the roads from the Ohinemuri County Council, and the law provides that the County Council can get. subsidies and amounts, placed on the Estimates for reading, whereas municipal authorities are not iii the same position. The Paeroa Borough is not in a position to Jay out the money on the roads in question, and it feels that morally it is entitled .to a special grant towards the Cost of formation and metalling, and in the event of an individual sub-dividing and selling, he is required to form and metal, to the satisfaction of the Council.. I( does not seem fair that the Government should-es,cape this liability, and throw some miles of unformed” roads on to a local body to be put in order out of local body funds. In view of the importance to the whole 1 district of the-.matters to wiiich reference is made) the deputal- - feels sure that you will use your best endeavours to have the recommendations carried out on the lines indicated. Mr E. W. Porritt, president of the Paero'i Chamber of Commerce, supported the request for the metalling of Wilson’s Road.

Replying, the Minister (Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister of Lands, and Act-ing-Minister Railways) thanked the Mayor for the welcome ; it was not his first visit to Paeroa. He congratulated the Mayor in putting forward the requests in writing, which gave a succinct and permanent record. The roads were matters for the Public Works Department. With regard to the damage done by carting through Wilson’s Road, the Department would repair it, as was its custom in such cases. He would refer the PaeroarPokeno Railway and the rivG'r silt questions to the Public Works Minister.

ROTOKOHU AREA. Mr W. D. Keys, secretary of toe Rotokohu Ratepayers’ Association, whose representations were supported by the Mayor., brought forward its requests on behalf of the ratepayers, on the lines previously dwelt upon at length in the “Gazette,” especially in regard to uncompleted stop-banks. It was stated that hitherto the Public Works Department had confined its operations to protection of Crown and Thames endowment lands. The Minister said he was well acquainted with the troubles spoken of,

and would earnestly recommend ®the requests to the Minister of Public Works, the' Hon, J. G. Coates.<■ -<• Mr Poland: The Hon. Mr Coates will be in the district shortly. Mr Guthrie said that the Ministers of Public Works, Lands, Railway?, and Agriculture were the Relief Works Committee, and he (the Hon. Mr Guthrje) would earnestly put forward the claims of the Rotokohu ■settlers to. have gangs put bn stop-bank work. Mr Haora Tererenui, for whom Mr W. H. Taylor interpreted, said he became a resident of the district in 1865, and had a full knowledge of the Ohinemuri River. He went on speaking on the lines of his recent speech before the Rotokohu Ratepayers’ Association), as reported previously in the “Gazette,” in reference to mining silt in the river, and the raising of the bed, which had destroyed its navigable qualities and. caused the land to be flooded, and deposits of mining silt and puiniceous material left thereon to the detriment of production.