MINISTERIAL TOUR.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5426, 20 May 1929, Page 3

MINISTERIAL TOUR.

HON. G. W. FORBES ON PLAINS. kerepeehi to orongo. The Minister - of Lands and party spent Thursday night at Kerepeehi, arid on Friday morning received deputations at Kerepeehi, Turua, and Orongo before proceeding at 2 p.m. toiThames for lunch. Afterwards the party went on to Coromandel. Being in the Thames electorate, Mr A. M. Samuel, M.P., was in charge of the arrangements. Prior to introducing deputations he extended a welcome to the Minister to the Thames electorate. Kaikahu Road. The first deputation was a large one, representing the Pekapeka and Kaikahu road districts, and the request was for assistance towards completing the metalling of Kaikahu Road. Mr H. D. Jamieson, the first speaker, explained that the Kerepeehi township had been cut up by the Govern- | ment, and some sections had been sold while others were held by the State. The Kaikahu block had been compulsorily acquired by the State, and thus the land could not be rated for roading. Metalling had been done as fas as the privately owned land, but there was a gap of about .35 chains through the Governmentowned land which the settlers considered should be roaded by the State. Other speakers added to these remarks. Mr A. M. Samuel said that the council had estimated the cost of metalling as £3B a chain, but he contended that the Government could do the work cheaper. The Minister replied that it was .the first time he had heard of the matter, so he would be pleased to go into it. A Domain. The next matter brought forward was the need for a public domain at Kerepeehi. Mr Samuel explained that the domain set aside for Kerepeehi had been found unsuitable, and the Government had sold the area for £6OO. It still had the money in hand, but had not provided 'another area as a domain. In reply to the Minister Mr Samuel said there was a suitable area in view on Kaikahu Road. Mr JaniieSon pointed out that by assisting the settlers of Kerepeehi the Government would be improving the value of its own properties. The Minister agreed with the desirability .of having playing fields, but pointed out . that the question of finance was involved. However, as Crown land was available he would inspect the proposed area and then go into the question carefully. Opening Land. The next matter brought forward was a request for the opening for selection of the big areas of Crown land about. Kerepeehi, particularly the Kerepeehi block. Mr-;,J. M. Thompson was the speaker, and he pointed out that the Keiepeehi block had been stocked for many years and had not been flooded for three years. The block had been roaded. There were also several other blocks within a few minutes’ walk of Kerepeehi that were quite fit for opening. Replying, the Minister said that the main purpose of his tour was to ascertain what lands were available for closer settlement. He would be pleased to go into the questions raised by the settlers with local knowledge. He did not want to repeat the mistakes of the previous Government and place men on land which was not in a fit state for immediate settlement. If there were sections where men would have a reasonable chance of making good he would do his utmost to have them made available for settlement.

Mr Samuel pointed out thqt the land was fit for settlement, but was rapidly deteriorating and becoming overrun by weeds.

In reply to the Minister Mr R. Macmorran, chief drainage engineer, explained that the Kerepeehi extension block had been internally drained, but as yet adequate means of disposing of the water had hot been provided, and the stop-banks had not been raised to the proper height. The plans for the pumping station were now being prepared, and dredges were now raising the stop-banks. Dual Rating. The position of certain farmers who were rated for drainage by both the Lands Draiage Department and the Elstow Drainage Board was mentioned by Mr H. D. Jamieson, who explained that his hill land had never been flooded but he was rated 6s 8d per acre. Were the Lands Drainage Department a local body dual rating would not be permissible. He would urge the Minister to consider refunding the Government rate or pay it to the Elstow Drainage Board. Mr J. J. Jenkins, another settler so affected, pointed out that the Government classed the land as A, but the Elstow Board classed it as C. The Minister said that he could not speak with any knowledge of the matter at present, but he would go into it and would certainly give an answer. Pumping Kerepeehi Block. On behalf of the Kaihere soldier settlers who had been removed to sections on the Kerepeehi block, Mr A. M. Samuel introduced a deputation which advocated several small pumping stations instead of one large plant, as was proposed by the Lands Drainage Department. Mr W. Mclnnes, the speaker, recounted the history of the soldier settlers’ case, and explained that the deputation did not wish to criticise the officers of the Lands Department, for whom they held the highest respect. The settlers were of the opinion that one large pumping station would be a very costly undertaking, and they thought that several small pumps would be more efficient and less costly to erect and maintain. The area would later be handed over to the control of drainage board, and the settlers were alarmed at the huge cost of the department’s proposal.

Mr Samuel submitted that the department’s scheme was thought to be costing £20,000 whereas the settlers’ suggestion of 15 small pumps would only cost £4OOO. There was little doubt that small pumps could pick up the water at several points, whereas it would be difficult to convey water’ long distances to a central pump. The Minister said that the matter was one for engineers, but now that it had been brought to their attention he was sure they would investigate it thoroughly before deciding on any action. Paeroa-Pokeno Railway. Mr W. J. McLarn pointed out that the Paeroa-Pokeno railway needed little further advocating, as its necessity had been stressed from one end of the country to the other. He merely wished to explain that the people of the Hauraki Plains were very strenuous supporters of the railway. The Minister said he would convey the representations to the Minister of Railways, and he would shortly make a pronouncement. Electric Power Charges. The question of the charges made for electric power by the Power Board owing to the price charged it by the Public Works Department was next brought up, and the opinion was expressed that the time had arrived when the Public Works Department should reduce its charges. Mr J. J. Jenkins supported Mr Samuel’s remarks on the subject, and added that farmers were still able to milk cheaper by benzine engines than by electricity. Mr H. D. Jamieson added thav the Power Board had decided to instal meters, as it considered that the farmers were not paying sufficient. The Minister said he would d’sruss the matter with the Minister of Public Works. He was sure that if anything could be done it would be done. Inspections. The Minister was taken on to the Kerepeehi block and shown some of the places where the settlers were of opinion small pumping plants should be installed. These outlets functioned by gravity for the greater part of the year, and it appeared more efficient to assist this than to divert the water back two miles to the proposed central pump. Mr A. M. Samuel pointed out the area of land which it was desired should be opened for settlement. In support of his contention that noxious weeds were coming in, Mr Samuel showed clumps of blackberry and explained that there were large and numerous clumps of ragwort appearing. On the way to Turua the Minister was taken along Kaikahu Road and shown the extent of the Government land which could not be rated for the completion of the metalling of the road. The locality of the suggested domain was also pointed out. Subsidy for Drainage.

At Turua the Hauraki United Drainage Board waited upon the Minister with a request for assistance by way of subsidy, to enable further drainage work to be done, Mr H. H. Hicks, chairman of the board, was the speaker, and explained that the board had already spent £28,000 on drainage works. The board did not desire to raise additional loans, and worfid request that the Government grant a £ for £ subsidy on the balance of loan money available, about £lOOO. The board also desired the State to refund the sum of £33 6s 8d which was contributed to the Lands Drainage Department towards the cost of stop-banking the Piako River before that work became .a national undertaking. A subsidy was also desired for work in the Pekapeka Road area, and towards a pumping scheme for the Ngatea district, or, alternatively, for the construction of high level drains. Mr J. C. Miller explained the position in regard to the board’s contribution towards the cost of the Piako River stop-banking. This work had not been contemplated when the board raised its loan, as it was naturally concluded that the Lands Drainage Department would continue to maintain the works, which would keep the sea out. Mr Miller also spoke of the difficulty of estimating the cost of some works outside flood-gates, as was required by the department before the work was put in hand. If a grant was made, the board would expend it to the very best advantage and would certainly not waste the money. To the Minister Mr R. Macmorran explained that it was very difficult, as had been stated, to estimate expenditure in unstable country. The Minister said he would be pleased to go into the matters'raised with the officers of his department. He understood the position, and was keen to do whatever was possible. Tall Fescue. • As on so many previous occasions, the menace of the spread of tall fescue grass was brought to the Minister’s attention. Mr J. C. Miller mentioned that the County Council had represented the case to the Minister. Fescue was not a declared noxious weed, but it was something very much worse, and the problem had been given a great deal of thought. The solution arrived at was to have a boundary declared to divide the fescue-affected areas from the clean areas. The desire was to have tall fescue declared a noxious weed within the clean areas. It was frequently stated that tall fescue could be combated by paspalum, but experience on the heavy lands of the Plains had proved that this was not so. The Minister said that he would carefully consider the matter. As the Act stood he thought that it was not possible to have it apply to parts only of a district. He realised the seriousness of the spread of noxious weeds, and understood that Hauraki Plains seemed to be a natural home for fescue. He would go into the matter very thoroughly with Dr. Reakes, of the Agricultural Department.