PLAINS GRANTS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4982, 2 June 1926, Page 4

PLAINS GRANTS.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS. POLICY OF RECONCILIATION. A matter of great importance to- the Hauraki Plains, with an aspect that should have a. great influence on the future relationship between the settlers and the Govern,meat, was brought to the notice c|f the Prime Minister and the Minister of Lands at Paeroa on Thursday by a deputation from the Hauraki Plains County Council comprising Crs. E. L. Walton (chairman), J. C. Miller, J. A. Reid, and the engineer (Mr F. Basham), which was introduced by Mr A. M. Samuel, M.P. for OhineiuCri, Cr. Walton said that he wished to refer to two things, but before dealing with them he wished to refer to the attiude of antagonism which had grown up I en een the council and the Government departments. He thought he voiced the opinion of the majoi ity of the settlers of the Plains when he stated that they regretted that the position had developed as it had done. He thought a section of opinion had given prominence tq its views, while the big majority had been silent on the matter. A new council had. been elected and at the annual meeting the previous day he had introduced, witli the approval of members present, the idea of a policy of reconciliation with the Lands Department. The majority of the settlers on the Hauraki Plains, though silent, recognised the vffjue of the work that was being carried out by the department on the Hauraki Plains. They recognised it as a big work, and a national one, and a work which, on the whole, was being carried out successfullyIt must be admitted that mistakes Ira.d been made, but both the Ministers,' would have too much common sense to believe him If he said mistakes had not been made. The friction created had been caused by the small section seeing only the mistakes and not the successes, and probably magnifying those .mistakes. It was time the sane opinion of .the majority asserted itself, arid the deputation was present to tell the Ministers that the new council would endea.vour to bring about a policy of reconciliation. The council was prepared to recant what had been said in the past. It was prepared to bury .the hatchet, and it asked that the department bury it with them.

Having dealt with the matter of reconciliation, Cr. Walton passed on to the twiei subjects on which consideration was desired. The first was that of the automatic Allocation of Government grants. In a county such as, the HauraKi Plains, where everything was new, and where there were so many mud toads requiring metalling, the automatic allocation, which might well apply in older counties, worked a serious injustice. The council, had prepared a list of grants which it wanted for the current year. The total exceeded the allocation. Grants were not asked for imaginary works, but each application represented money which the council was prepared to 1 spend on works which were urgent and necessary. In the case of the Ne.therton Roads loan, the council yvas* only asking for the establishment of the grants. The council wa.s prepared to finance the work in the meantime and receive the subsidies on the loan spread over a period of four or five years in order to assist the Public Works • Department in finding its share of the work. In the case of the Hauraki Plains Roads grant (TuruaNetherton roads) and the Waitaka-ruru-Mqukoro canal, road grant, these were; existing commitments and must be gone on with this year. Unless there was some relaxation of the automatic allocation it would .not be possible to carry out this programme of work. To the. Minister of Lands Cr. Walton said he wished to say that for some time; the question had been in dispute as to whether his department should do all the metalling, but in view of the. new council’s policy he asked the Minister if he would meet it half-way and thus bind the; offer to change the past By that the council meant would his department find the difference between a £ for £ subsidy so a.s to make the basis a £2 for £1 grant on those; roads

recently administered by .the Lands Department. The Minister had already agreed to do so in respect to certain roads, a,nd 'fairly long lengths of road, but in addition to thesq there were scattered about the county short stretches of mud roads which required linkiing up to existing metal roads. The Minister would realise that it was no use telling those; settlers on mud roads of the amount of work done by the department hi the past in regard to metalling. The.y would never be contented until they ha',d a metalled frontage. The speaker asked the Minister if he. would adopt a policy of a £2 for £1 subsidy now that the parties were reconciled.

Cr. J. A. Reid, representative of the Netherton Riding on the Plains Council, supported the remarks of the county chairman and dealt, at lengtli with the requirements of his district, pointing out tha,t the settlers had been told by the Ministers to go ahead with th© raising of their loan and then come forward with the request for subsidies'. A loan had now been sanctioned, but the settlers had done this on the. understanding that the Government would give very favourable consideration when the application for subsidy went Iforwjard. The settlers of the Awaiti were of opinion that the department should make a grant of £2 for £1 on the roads in that area, which principally affected Crown lands.

The Prime Minister intimated that the Government had approved of a £ for £ subsidy for the Awaiti South and Awaiti East roads, and £2 for £1 on the Ngararahi canal read. Mr Reid said thiit the work could only be carried on provided thq council could obtain wha.t might be expected in the nature df subsidies. Such grunts could be spread over a term of years.

Replying to the deputation the; Hon. A. D. McLeod said that it was. very satisfactory to hear that a. reconciliation had beeii effected, and his department would gladly "bury the hatches.” He freely admitted that in's department had made mistakes, but lie felt sure it was profiting by experience. The department no doubt appeared to many to be hard and relentless,, but it had not the money to give effect .to all the requirements. Additional financial assistance required would have to be borne; by the land. With the removal of friction a good deal could be done between the two departments and the settlers. Tne: work would be assisted by both departments in the future, and the difficulties, of reading, and also the needs df the settlers, would receive his earnest and early consideration.