MINISTERIAL VISIT TO KING COUNTRY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 67, 31 January 1908, Page 2

MINISTERIAL VISIT TO KING COUNTRY.

- ♦ Mr McNah at Te Kui-i.

In accordance with arrangements made by Mr Jennings, Member for the District, the Hon. R. McNah, Minister for Lands, arrived at Te Kuiti on Tuesday last by the express train, and remained in the town about two hours. Adva.nlage was taken of the Minister's visit by the residents to arrange a deputation to put various matters of local interest bclore him. Upon the arrival of the train Mr Jennings, accompanied by Major Lusk (Count} 7 " Chairman) and several of the residents, adjourned with the Minister to the Hall.

Mr Jennings, in introducing the deputation, welcomed Mr McN.ib to the district and regretted that engagements won id notallow of the Minister remaining for a longer period. There were many matters of unusual interest to be discussed, as the King Country was rapidly developing into one of (the most important farming centres in the province. Te Kuiti was progressing at a great rate, and the residents were anxious to secure recognition for many urgent requirements. He trusted the Minister's visit would be productive of good results.

Major Lusk, in speaking of County matters, referred to the urgent necessity for metalling the main roads of the district, and strongly urged the Minister to support their request for a portable stone crusher to be placed at the disposal of the District Roads Department, He drew attention to the great waste of money under the present system of road maintenance, due to lack of facilities for metalling, and said that from a common-sense business point of view the Government should accede to the request. With reference to subsidies for loans to the County Council under the " Loans to Local Bodies Act," Major Lusk said that it was felt the Government should assist the settlers in their efforts to obtain passable roads. The County was young and settlement sparse; the subsidies applied for were in connection with main roads which passed through a great deal of Native land, and also opened up considerable areas of unoccupied Crown lands.

The question of " thirds " accruing from Crown tenants in the County were also referred to, and the Minister was asked whether the intimation recently received by the Council, that ftye Crown Lands Board would take tfye apqi]rnq|ated '■ {hircjs" of the County and expend them, way mandatory. it was stated that the Con> missionerihad been approached by the Chairman some two years ago, and had agreed that it was advisable in many instances to have the " thirds " accumulate for the purpose of providing' interest on loans from the Government, or of getting a decent amount in hand to perform good and permanent work. This com:se had fjeen adopted by tl}e Council, and now the Land 'Hoard had intiin'ated that the expenditure of moneys would be undertaken by them.

The taking of roads through Native lands was also dealt with, and it was uj'K-ed that the Government should, tl+e of the* County Council, have roads survevtd through Native blocks. As the Act stood, the Council, by making application to the Land Court within live years of the land being put through the Court, could get authority to

have the road put through without compensation. The Government's powers in this direction extended over a period of fifteen years, and it was '' felt that in the interests of settlement, and particularly tiiose who had up Native leases, the Government* should tai.'o action in the manner indicated.

Mr Jer. Ormsby spoke in support of the various matters advocated by Major L'r-k. He. strongly supported the request for subsidies, and said that the placing of a portable stone crusher in the district would mean an immense saving to the Government and to the settlers.

Mr MeNab: What would they cost ?

About .£,"00 each, and they would pay for their cost in a year. Willi regard to roads to Native Kinds, Mr Ormsby pointedoul thai until access was given to land, held by lease from the Natives, those leas.es could not be registered. In addition, in practically all cases, the roads applied for to be surveyed would be going a certain distance towards opening up unsurveyed or partly surveyed Crown lands. Even if the individuals interested had to pay a portion of the cost it would be some help. Mr J. Boddie, after supporting in general terms the requests of the previous speakers, referred to the matter of subsidies to loans for carrying out township street formation. He said that undoubtedly it was not the duty of the Government to subsidise all loans, but there were certain deserving cases in which the Government had assisted in the past, and he thought the matter of Tc Kuiti township was deserving of consideration. The town had been laid off into sections and the roads surveyed. The sections were offered for lease by public auction by the Maori Land Board on a twenty-one years tenure, with re-valuation at the end of that term ; the roads appeared only on the plan, some of them being through swamps, others along creeks, and others again over steep hills. It would mean a large expenditure by the townspeople in order to get the streets even formed. Moreover, the main street was portion of the main thoroughfare between Waikato and Taranaki, and Hte thought the Government should ai least metal the street.

Mr McNnb : Hut the title! Arc you sure about the tenure being only 21 years with a re-valuation at the end of that lenn ?

Yes, unfortunately, only too sure. The people who came here were between two fires ; they had to accept conditions as Iliey found them. Mr Boddic also referred to the subsidy asked for the Mangaorino road loan. The road was portion of the main Taranaki road, and last year was impassable for anything but a packhorse. The public cemetery for Te Kuiti wis situated about two miles along the road from the township, and the spectacle of funeral parties toiling through knee-deep mud had been witness,-J last winter. The seUl.Ts were helping themselves as far as lay in their power, but felt it was not right 1o expect them to do the whole of the work. They deserved a subsidy and ihe Government had evidently recognised its responsibility, as portion of (he road was now being uictaMcd by the Roads Department. Mr Ro'idie aKo spoke on the question of roads to Native lands, and strongly supported the request of the previous speakers. The question of the Posl-ollicc site for Te Kuiti was dealt with by Messrs Darrow and sk\l, and at the invitation of the deputation the Minister inspected Ihe present I'osl-office and proposed site for the new building. The desirability of having the office erected on the Native-owned section was strongly represented, and the necessity for a new building at the earliest possible time was demonstrated.

The subject of railway improvements was dealt with by Mr Tarn- I madge, and the desirability of having | an alternate survey of the Taranaki- ' Auckland railway route made to Te 'Kuiti was submitted to the Minister by Mr Boddie, as was an application to have the office of Registrar of Electors for Taumanmui electorate removal to Te Kuiti.

The Minister, in reply, expressed regret at being unable to make a longer stay, and look into sonic of the problems presented to him. He had never before realised the existence of the special features which were peculiar to the district. An aspect of the case, which may have been overlooked, was the fact that conditions and progress, the evolution of which had taken perhaps 20 years to materialise in other localities, were being crowded into five or six years in this district. With regard to the town, one of the regrettable features was that all financial assistance given by the Government was going to increase the value of property and raising rents for the landlords. who were doing nothing to assist. The lessees would receive some temporary benefit, but would have to pay later on to a third party who " toil not, neither do they spin," but receive everything which comes out of the loom. He would investigate the matters thoroughly and regretted that he could not make a longer stay with a view to acquiring more information on the subject. In the matter of placing stone crushers in the district, Mr Mc Nab said the suggestion was obviously a a common scn«jc one, and from personal knowledge he'could speak' of the benefits derivable from such a course. He would bring the matter particularly under the notice of the Minister for Public Works.

W.th regard to the question of " thirds " that came within the scope of his own department, he would give the subject his attention when he returned to Wellington. The other matters brought undej: his ipticc v/ould be referred fo the depart rocprs ir.tcie'-ted. Some complaints as to the in which correspondence was ncgloo* ted by the Auckland Land Offioo, were made, and the Minister said he / would ewiun-e into them. 1 In conclusion, Mi' McNab said lie - would be gh.id to return to 1e Kuiti as soon as the duties of his office permitted. The Minister left by the late tram for Taumarunui about 6 p.m.