MINISTERS ON PLAINS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5115, 15 April 1927, Page 1

MINISTERS ON PLAINS.

TUESDAY’S BUSINESS. SEVERAL DEPUTATIONS HEARD. After finishing at Nethe.rton on Tuesday afternoon the Ministers and party to Turua via Orchaid East Road before moving on to Thames. ORCHARD EAST VALUATION. Two sections on Orchard East Road, Ngatea, taken up by soldier settlers under that section of the. Act which empowered the State to purchase land for soldiers, have been abandoned, and in order to get them occupied it has been necessary to reduce the price. The remaining four settlers have used this as an al gument to get their valuation reduced, but so far without result. The land was purchased at boom prices several ’ years ago, and is now obviously overvalued. As yet no concession has been sought from the. Government, but it is now desired that the Crown i educe the mortgage as private sellers would have done. This matter was brought to tire attention of the Minister of Lands on behalf of the four settlers by Mr E. L. Walton, who advocated that the valuation be reduced to the figure now placed on the. unoccupied farms. The Minister of Lands said that his sympathies wore with the soldier settlers, but the matter' was entirely one for the Revaluation Board. It >had dealt with the matter some time ago, but since then conditions had altered and the board could very well reconsider the matter. If the Revaluation Board recommended a reduction he would gladly grant it. He would point out, as a general statement, that where a settler paid a portion of his interest his case received greater consideration than the case of a man who did not show an effort to pay something. BAGNALL’S OUTLET. The facts in favour of the. suggest? ed drain through Mr S. -Bagnall’s farm, Turua, were pointed out on the site by Mr F. L. Hamilton, who advocated that a grant should be made as a means of waking the Hauraki United Drainage. Board to the necessity of providing additional drainage facilities for the large tract of land. The Minister said that*the subject was one entirely for the drainage board. In reply to Mr Hamilton Mr E. Taylor, lands drainage engineer, said that the two drains which he had in mind as necessary for the ultimate requirements of the area were Bagnall’s and the To Kauri No. 1. The Minister said that he could not be expected to go chasing drainage boards. When the board made application for a subsidy he would consider it, and if the proposals were reasonable the department would act reasonably. TURUA DOMAIN. ■ At Turua Mr T. W. Rhodes introduced a deputation from the Turua Domain Board comprising Messrs J. Mules and G. Gray, who sought assistance towards the cost of purchasing an area of four acres alongside the present domain. The Hon. A. D. McLeod said that domain votes were made on the basis of £ for £ subsidy, except in very exceptional cases. He could npt justify a free grant for Turua without having to do the same for numerous, other places. However, a £ for £ subsidy would be available when required. BITUMEN ROAD SUBSIDY. The. Turua Town Board approached the Minister of Public Works with tlie request, for a subsidy on its bitumen road work on the 'same lines as had been gianted the County Council on work adjoining the, Town Board’s district. The subsidy, if granted, would be used to grade back the sides of the metal to allow the rain water to get away without injuring the road foundations. The Hon, K. S. Williams said that he would obtain a report on the subject and give it close consideration. SUBSIDY ON DRAIN PUMPS. Op behalf of the settlers of the Ngatea-Kerepeehi district who were prepared to raise a special loan for the installation of di’aijjrwater pumps Mr W. E. G. Willy asked the Minister of Lands for consideration in the matter of subsidising the loan. The Hon. A. D. McDeod, in reply, said that he would have to go very carefully into the. matter before making any statement whatever in connection with pumping. It was realised that much had yet to be learned on the matter, and the officers, of the Lands Department and the Public Works Department were not yet satisfied that it was a sound proposition to subsidise such schemes. Much had yet to be learned, and until further information was available be would not make a statement.