MINISTERIAL TOUR.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 146, 8 April 1909, Page 2

MINISTERIAL TOUR.

Mr Hogg at Te Kuiti. The Hon. A. W. Hogg, Minister for Roads and Bridges, arrived at Te Kuiti on Monday evening by train from Otorohanga, having come overland from Kawbia the same day. The Minister was accompanied by his private secretary, Mr Mcwhinney and Mr T. Burd, District Road Engineer. The party was met at the Railway station by Mr Boddie, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, and a number of residents, and arrangements were made for deputations to wait upon the Minister at 5 o'clock

A representative deputation waited on the Minister in Mr E. Kerr's boardinghouse and laid before Mr Hogg the various needs of the town and district. With regard to roads Mr Boddie said their greatest need was metal. A great amount of work had been done in the district,but only one road was metalled for a few miles out. The settlers were very glad to see that provision j had been made for a progressive metal- \ ling policy, and plants had been ob- j tained to that end. He was sure the j wants of the main Awakino road \ would be well supplied henceforth, and j seeing that it was the main arterial road, not only for the district, but between the Provinces of Auckland and Taranaki, there was every reason why it should be kept in view. In referring to the Arapae road the speaker said it was one of the most important roads in the whole district and gave access to an enormous scope of country between the railway and the coast — country which could not be surpassed in the whole Dominion. When the road was completed it would mean a saving of from 10 to 13 miles for settlers at Mairoa and further out. During the past season a considerable amount of work had been done on this road and he tru«ted the same vigorous poilcy would be pursued with regard to it in future. 'For the first six or seven miles from the railway the road ran through Native-owned land from whica it was impossible to derive any rates. It was felt that the Government should push on with the road and devote as much money as possible to metalling it. The settlers out back were very anxious to have the road completed, and intended raising a loan for metalling purposes. They, however, should not be expected to shoulder the burden of the first six or seven miles, and looked to the Government to assist them in the matter. Mr Boddie also advocated the opening up of the road between Oparure and Waitomo Caves, which would be a great convenience to a large number of settlers. The Waiteti and Mangaorino roads were also mentioned as deserving of increased attention. With regard to the district as a whole the speaker said notwithstanding the handicap of tenure and bad roads people were cominer from all parts of the Dominion to settle, and be was sure any increase in expenditure the Government made on the roads was thoroughly warranted. Mr Jer. Ormsby, Chairman of the Waitomo County Council, also advocated the metalling of the main roads and drew attention to the drawbacks under which the district was labouring in consequence of the amount of native owned land. He could point to places which were paralysed on account of the conditions referred to. Where the native land exceeded a certain percentage of the whole it was impossible to borrow under the Local Bodies' Loans Act and this was holding the. district back very seriously. With regard to the Natives themselves a great number realised the position and were anxious to have it remedied. It would perhaps not be quite fair to act indiscrimiantely, but a proper txrorse could be adopted without hardship. The speaker also urged the opening up and roading of the land on the Eastern side of the railway. Mr R. Were ,a member of the Waitomo County Council, urged the push ing ahead of the work on the Arapae road and various matters affecting the Mairoa Riding. Mr Were instanced the fact that he had just had a load of timber taken out to his place. The timber cost him £lB 10s, and cartage cost £l6 10s, and the timber still had to be brought some distance. He also urged the completion of the KawhiaMahoenui road, which had been started at express speed prior to the land being opened and left with bridges and timber unused.

Mr Darrow spoke regarding railway matters, and requested Mr Hogg to bring before tbeMinister in charge the shifting of the railway station to its proper position; and shifting of the cattle yards. Mr Somerville pointed out that over 20,000 sheep had gone through the yard since January. Mr F. H. Sims referred to matters in connection with the postal department, and urged that the present accommodation be increased. A letter carrier was also required in the town, and the country telephone offices should be converted into s bureaux in order to give the full advantage in connection with telephone service. He requested Mr Hogg to bring the matters before the responsible Minister, with a view to having them improved. Mr Moore, of Mahovitui, welcomed Mr Hogg to tb. district. Speaking as a man who had .-. .. r. tb- whole of the Dimonion. and o-.b .• countries as well, he couM .'.-?■;:■ tb bi::i?ter New Zealand was ••■■.■ '" 'b b.■.•-■•- countries in the world, and tb Ln.g i'■•.■;::'ry the brightet spot i: tb I >"i:,i:-.iom He urged the removal of r. sanctions on Native lar/b whibt v :•,_ getting overran v>'ith r:d : :• ; ; :i infested with noaioui ■->■•- ;.. Mr H"gg, in :'<i'iy, be was glad to meet those present. Deputations wen: no infliction to him; they gave him information and that was what he had come in quest of. As regards the town he understood the anomalous position it v.-as in, and he would do his h'-st to help them in bringing tb. various matters outside his own ■■.;..- pari m en' before the notice <■■: tb re3po::bbL V» :tn bbtct and could be improved, ib '■ ■'■■)'■-}' to get the very b st machine r- i-a crushing and also tor carrying n.tta:. Dray work was slow, and was calculated ti) cuf. up the road. He had already (

ordered motor lorries, which would , carry 8 or 9 cubic yards at a load and : the broad wheels would act as a road roller and imorove the metalling. He was deeplv interested in the remarks of the County Chairman regarding the rating of the native lands. If land was raised in value by roading it, the owners should pay a little towards the ; cost. He had never met a settler who j had objected to do this. With respect j to the main roads, they were in a diff- \ erent position to tthe rest of tie roads | of a district, and should not only be j made but metalled by the Government. ! They might almost be regarded as railways by the State. The Minister referred to the great tracts of Native land through which he had passed that day and said something should certainly be done towards making them rateable. The process should be determined by the Minster for Lands and the Cabinet, and he intended to press the matter. The backblock vote for roads of £250, 000 would again be available this year and the public works policy was to be vigorously pushed ahead. No money could be more usefully expended, and it was reproductive in the broadest sense, inasmuch as it helped to swell the exports of the Dominion, out of which New Zealand had to pay her way. ! Mr Moorhoure, introduced by Mr i Jer. Ormsby, County Chairman, ! brought before the Minister the neces- ! sity for a bridge over the Mokau river jat Puketutu. Mr Hogg promised the I matter would have consideration. j

Banquet at Te Kuiti. In the evening the Minister was entertained at a banquet tendered by the local Chamber of Commerce, in Mr Kerr's boardinghouse. Mr Boddie, president of the Chamber, occupied the chair, and Mr Jer. Ormsby, chairman of the Waitomo County Council, was in the vice-chair. An excellent table was provided, and after justice had been done to the good things the usual toast list was got through.

In proposing the "Army and Navy," i Captain Berry said we had ample evij dence of the necessity for both army I and navy, and it was little use building | roads and bridges unless we built up a j force to defend them. The speaker j said the present volunteer system badly required altering, but doubted whether compulsory training was the remedy. Mr Sharpies, in responding on behalf of the Navy, made a capital speech. In referring to the gift of a Dreadnought by the Dominion to the Mother Country, the speaker said the monetary worth of the gift was entirely overshadowed by the moral effect. In referring to the various criticisms which the action of the Government had drawn forth, particularly the telegram of Mr T. Taylor, the speaker said that while theoretically the Premier had acted unconstitutionally, he could point to instances in which men like Lord Beaconsfield and Gladstone had adopted a similar course when faced with an emergency. The future ownership of New Zealand would be decided not on land, but on the narrow seas. He trusted New Zealand's battleship will never feel the brunt of shot and shell, but it was good to feel the security occasioned by the protection afforded by such a fleet as the Empire possessed and it was essential that it should be kept up to the highest standard. Mr Franklin, in responding for the i Army, referred to the proverbial unreadiness of Britain in case of war and he advocated the placing of our forces on a better footing. The cadet system was a good one, but something should be done to carry on the training of our boys revived as cadets. Another feature of the question was the arming of our forces. We hod a scarcity of arms and ammunition in the Dominion and this was a matter which called for serious attention of the authorities. Mr Boddie, in proposing the toast of the evening, extended a hearty welcome to the Minister and assured him the enthusiasm of the gathering was not merely outward show. Referring to the changes foreshadowed by the Government in connection with the Civil service,the speaker said he felt conn* ient that the efficiency of the service would probably be not only maintained but improved. If the stringency of the money market was responsible for the action, then it was one of the best things that had happened to the Dominion. With regard to the district Mr Boddie said they would all agree that the Minister's visit was timely and the knowledge obtained by the Minister would be of great assistance in the administration of his department. He was sure Mr j H°gg would go home convinced that no district in the Dominion had such a I bright future and certainly no district | offered bo much scope for the consideration of the Minister. No special pleading was required on bis part regarding our roads as Mr Hogg seeing them for himself. Kg was confident that when this year's Estimates came to light it would be found that the district had been allotted its ; full and just share. The Minister, in reply, expressed appreciation over the manner of his reception, especially considering the ; inadequate notice of his visit. In referring to the work of the Government Mr Hogg briefly reviewed the political history of the party and paid a tribute to the leaders of the Liberal .Party. With reference to the district the Minister said he intended to look after the urgej.t works first. The main roads badly 'wanted attention, and as far as he could go with the money procurable , he intended to go. He was sorry to see the vast tracts of unoccupied land in th" district and hoped they would ' soon give j'larv.' to smiling homesteads. ; The Mii'.iri"! i-ui'ui red to th£ gift : of the ]j!v;,. ; .r.uught, and said the Cab- ' in el had 1 <-''-. unanimous on the quesMr J-, r. Ormsby proposed the "Comnoetodai an:; Pastoral Industries.'" He r-.ferr-.-d ~-j the progress of the town and district, an:: the immense dcvclopL Mj 11 M s onc \i'k, in e=poi a i g on behalf of the Pastoral Industry,

said that four years ago the number of sheep in the district was about 2000; now the number r was from 40,000 to 60,000. Very shortly with the assistance of good roads instead of having store sheep to graze on our lands we would be turning out fat stock. Good roads meant an enormous saving to : the settlers in freights, if the Governi ment would metal the roads, the setj tiers would be only too willing to put i their hands in their pockets and help |to the utmost. With regard to the j Native lands the settlers were handicapped in every way. Men were coming here and taking up leases and were I faced with the matter of financing. I The Advances to Settlers' Office was not open to them and this question was going to be one of the greatest in the district. Mr Phillips, on behalf of Commerce, said that without the pastoral industry there would be no commerce, and with- ■ out roads there would be no pastoral ' industry. They all recognised how | much depended upon the roading of i the district, and felt that the Minis- ■ ter's visit would do a great deal of j good. He referred to the progress of ! the town during the past two years, j and instanced the increase in the rail- ! way and postal staffs. i The toasts of the "Ladies," "Press," j and "Host ani Hostess" were also i honoured. During the evening songs were ren. dered by Messrs Blackman, Crayes, and Turner, Messrs W. C. Turner, J. T. Hetet, and E, A. Power supplying the acompaniments.

On Tuesday morning Mr Hogg accompanied by Mr Mewhinney, private secretary, and Mr T. Burd, left Te Kuiti for Aria in'Mr V. S. Hattaway's buggy, the backblock township being reached about three o'clock in the afternoon, after a slow journey through the mud. The roads were found to be in a very bad state considering the time of the year. The heavy traffic following upon the recent heavy rains has bad the effect of converting the clay formation into a quagmire., and travelling through it is anything but a pleasant experience. Upon arriving at Aria Mr Hogg was formal:;,- welcomed by the residents,and later in the after noon delivered an address to the settlers. In the evening Mr Hogg was entertained at a banquet by the Settlers' Association. Mr Sullivan presided, and there was a large gathering of settlers and visitor? from gurrounding districts. A. very pleasant time was spent the Minister entering heartily into the social side of the function. In replying to the toast of the evening Mr Hogg briefly reviewed t'nework of the present Government which be said had always been in the interests of the settlers. That policy the present administration intended to pursue and, as far as roads were concerned., he inr tended to carry on the important work of giving roads to the backbiocks on the most progressive lines. He was immensely pleased with the country he had passed through and predicted for it a future of the brightest nature. He exhorted the settlers to stick to their sections, and in a very few years they would reap a fitting reward for their first few years of pioneering. The Minister outlined the futura roads policy of the Department on the same lines as he had done at Te Kuiti, and made a strong feature of the importance of metalling A number of songs and recitations were rendered during the evening, the Minister and Mr Burd being responsible for several items.

On Wednesday forenoon the party kit Aria for Mahoenui. At Piopio i the Minister was met by a deputation | from the Mangaotaki Settlers' Associ- ! ation. The deputation placed before ; the Minister various matters in connect \ tion with the Mangaotaki road and j requested Mr Hogg to pay a visit to the locality. ■ The Minister, in replying to the : deputation, said he was aware of the great drawbacks the district was labouring under with regard to roads. :It was a great pity thai such a fine ' district should be retaro.ea in any way. When he got back he would give such 1 an account of the country that there : would be an accession of settlers oc the ! right class. There was nothing like ! close settlement, which meant the establishing of dairy fnorories. _ cheese ! factories and all the other industrial I establishments necosaty for progress. IH« was aware that goof, no? to.o.amtsed : roads were essentia, to too tarrying ; out of any industry ?. .ots.roo.-y. He I used to get the nam-.-of ooing one cf [ the best beggars in the House :n the ! matter of road a-r.l .tinges an.: tr.orj oughly understood to..- necessity tor I them." He was sorry that time would j not permit him to visit th<_ Hangac- ! taki,but he would do so at some future, ! date. Meanwhile he would take special ; note of tho request f.nd would do what 1 was possible to comply v, ith it. The settlers were the sinevo and backbone of the country, and deserved the help of the Government, which help he would endeavour to have extended to them in future, as in the past. Whatever influence he possessed with the Cabinet would be exerted to have more money spent on roads. .Honey spent on labour circuiated within the country and helped to fertilise the land and make it productive. In New Zealand we had a young country where plenty of work had to be done and there was ample scope for the energies of all. Mr E. Q.-Dwyer, iu moving a vote oi thanks to the Minister, said they were all confident that he was the right man in the right place. Mr Hogg always had the couragp to ticn. <~ rt m--10ns and hid cor = i L - ne amaii scttlL.l H \u ster ha 1 the *es of x. c ~ on. Th m d ais c short latlOS-