MINISTER OF LANDS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5425, 17 May 1929, Page 2

MINISTER OF LANDS.

HON. G. W. FORBES ON PLAINS. DEPUTATIONS RECEIVED. The Minister of Lands and Agriculture, the Hon. G. W. Forbes, commenced a tour of the Hauraki Plains yesterday He was accompanied by his son, Mr R. Forbes, Dr. C. J. Reakes, head of the Department of Agriculture ; Mr A. W. Hall, M.P. for Hauraki ; Mr K. M. Graham, Commissioner of Crown Lands, South Auckland district ; Mr R. Macmorran, Chief Drainage Engineer ; Mr Galvin, Crown lands ranger, Hamilton ; Mi’ D. Campbell, State Forestry Department ; and Mr A. W. Mulligan, private secretary to the Minister. The party was met at Maramarua by members of the Waitakaruru Ratepayers’ Association, who supported the representations of the local farmers in the matter of opening for settlement the hill lands between Maramarua and Waitakaruru. Much of this land was provisionally reserved for State forest. At the county boundary Mr E. Taylor, lands drainage engineer, Cr. C. W. Harris, riding member, and Messrs F. Basham and E. A, Mahoney, of the council staff, were picked up. Waitakaruru Stop-banking. The first stop was made at the bridge on Mahutu Road, where Mr Macmorran, chief drainage engineer, explained to Mr Forbes the position in regard to the necessity of improving and extending the Waitakaruru Stream canal to enable it to cope with the stormwater from a catchment area of 22 square miles of barren hills. He pointed out that the present channela nd stop-banks were inadequate, and much farm land was flooded at frequent intervals. The department had two alternative schemes, but the difficulty was to arrange finance, as freeholders and Crown tenants were both affected. Under the Hauraki Plains Act the Lands Department could rate the leaseholders, but the freeholders would have to find their share by other means. At one time they had offered £lOOO, but this offer did not now hold, as some of those who had made it had left the district.

If the scheme was put in hand it would be necessary for provision to be made for permanent maintenance, otherwise the money would be wasted. The canal was the key to the position, and the major scheme, costing £7OOO-odd, was the only one he would recommend. A drag-line dredge would be required, as floatingtdredges could not do the job. The Minister proceeded over the farm of Mr L. Bates to inspect the canal, and then proceeded to the Waitakaruru Hall, where luncheon was served by lady friends of the Waitakaruru and Pipiroa Ratepayers’ Association. After lunch Mr C. W. Harris, who presided, extended a welcome, to the Minister on behalf of the people of the district. The Minister expressed his thanks for the welcome, and for the very nice luncheon provided by the ladies. It was a pleasing way of meeting settlers—round the festive board— and it. tended to make all matters harmonious. Continuing, the Minister said his desire in coming into the district was to get in close touch with local problems. He wanted to get a good grasp of them, and recognised that the only way was by'visiting and seeing for himself. Being a Crown tenant himself, he could claim some knowledge of , the position from the tenants’ point of view, His aim was to give them a fair chance of becoming successful, but he did not believe in spoon-feeding. As far as was in his power he would assist in overcoming the difficulties of the people. With him was Dr. Reakes, head of the Department of Agriculture, who would be pleased to advise farmers on agricultural problems. A Government Reserve. The first matter brought forward was by Cr. Harris, who advocated utilising portion of the Government’s reserve between the domain and the canal as an experimental plot, and as a farm which would be instructive and interesting to farmers Mr Macmorran explained that excluding the road frontage the area contained 80 acres. The Minister undertook to discuss the matter with Dr. Reakes and Mr. Graham. Mr C. Adams, of the Ratepayers’ Association, said that the reserve had not been bringing in any revenue to the Government. It had been grazed by anyone and everyone, and last winter it grazed 40 racehorses. , The land was cut into town sections, but the price was too high. Mr F. Pinchess supported, and pointed out that the area had been unused for 17 years. To make it into two farms would make it rate-produc-ing, and prevent it from becoming overrun with weeds; Mr T. Evans also spoke on the matter, and dwelt on the difficulty of neighbouring farmers in regard to drainage and the spread of weeds, particularly tall fescue. Mr.Macmorran explained that the area was withheld- from settlement as an area where, in the early days, settlers could graze their stock. That necessity had passed, but further back .there was still peat land, and it might still be necessary to reserve it for grazing for the new settlers. Regarding the area between the two canals, a search some years ago had revealed that it was Crown land. The Minister promised to look into the matter, and if possible have it opened for selection on whatever terms the Land Board recommended. Maukoro Canal Land. Mr G. Francis urged the opening for selection of lands on the eastern side of the Maukoro canal, south of

the Soldier Settlement. He considered that the land was in a better ' state now for opening up than were the soldiers’ sections when they were opened up. Mr E. Perkins spoke in support, and pointed out that the land was fit to be made available for settlement. The Minister promised to have the matter looked into by the officers of his department. He understood that it was not desirable to open peat land before it had consolidated, but if the contention of the settlers that the land was now fit for farming was correct, then the matter certainly deserved looking into. Waitakaruru Canal. On behalf of the Crown tenants and freeholders occupying land affected by the present state of the Waitakaruru canal, Mr Hall introduced a deputation. Mr C. A. Hayward explained that seven farmers on 600 acres of land had stop-banked the creek prior to the commencement of work by the Lands Drainage Department. When the department started, it stop-banked on the other side of the creek, with the result that the settlers’ bank was topped in flood time and the farms ruined. The department had rated the freeholders, but had not spent a penny on protecting their land. The department’s scheme, costing £7OOO- - was a good one, but the question was, what proportion should the freeholders contribute, and how could they do it. Unless the Government assisted, the burden on the freeholders would be more than they could bear, and at present the Lands Department was waiting for an offer from the settlers. Until something definite was known as to what proportion of the cost would be allotted to the freeholders it was practically impossible to get the settlers to agree on making an offer. Messrs J. Fagan and L. Bates supported Mr Hayward. On behalf of the Crown tenants interested Mr Donaldson spoke of the serious flooding due to the lack of efficiency of the canal in normal times, and its inability to cope with stormwater from the hills. Mr C. Thomasin also spoke from the point of view of the leaseholders. Replying, Mr Forbes mentioned that he had inspected the canal and the affected lands. After conferring with Mr Macmorran he was satisfied that the solution was the canal. The difficulty was to allocate the cost. This matter was receiving consideration, and he recognised the urgency of finalising it and Would lose no time m going into the subject. He hoped to be able to submit something definite before long. Pouarua Road. Mr J. Poland, a Pouarua Road settler, said that his trouble was the lack of metal. This disability needed no elaborating, but he would point out that it was becoming necessary t?o have a stock route to enable cattle to be kept off the highway. Pouarua Road would be the road adopted, and unless it was metalled the formation would be ruined. Mr C. W. Parfitt explained that the stock route would join up With the Hopai West extension. The council would have certain money in hand within the next two years, but it desired a subsidy equivalent to £2 for £1 to enable the work to be done in that two years. After conferring with Gr. Parfitt and Mr Macmorran the Minister said that as the council was prepared to do its share he would do his best to get the Minister for Public Works to do his part. : The business at Waitakaruru was concluded by Mr A. W. Hall, M.P., thanking the Minister for visiting the electorate and by Mr C. Adams, on behalf of the Ratepayers’ Association, thanking him for the patient hearing given to the deputations. Replying, the Minister said that his greatest difficulty would be to impress the -Minister of Finance with the needs of the district. On the way .to Ngatea a stop was made at the Maukoro Canal bridge, to enable the Minister to see the Government reserve lying between the Waitakaruru domain 'and the canal, and also the idle land north of the highway and between the two canals. The Plague of Crickets. Dr. Reakes, head of the Agricultural Department, was taken to view the effects of the plagues of crickets on the seafront land at Pipiroa. With Mr C. W. Parfitt he spent a considerable time inspecting land. The request of the settlers was that the department advise them on means of combatting the crickets.