Hon T, McKenzie’s Visit to Te Aroha.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4414, 22 May 1909, Page 2

Hon T, McKenzie’s Visit to Te Aroha.

Ox Wclnpsday la3t the Hon- T. Mckenzie, Minister for Agriculture .Mi'd Tourist Affairs, paid a somewhat unexpected visit to Te Aroha. He was accompanied by his daughter and his private secretary (Mr Johnston) and Mr .Bobieson, of the Tourist Department. As the Ministers stay in Te Arohi was limited to a few hours only, he lost no time in seeing the town, more particularly that part wherein his present Ministerial position claims his attention. viz., the Sanatorium Grounds.

Shortly after their arrival the party accompanied by Mr W. H. Herries, M.P, for the district, Dr. G. G. Kenny, and Mr G. F. McGirr, of the local Tourist Department, inspected the Doinaiu Grounds, and expressed themselves as greatly pleased with the baths and Mr MacKenzie remarked that a transfer' mation scene had taken place in the appeal ance of the town and Domain since his last visit ‘2O years ago. He referred to the progress of settlement, and pvophesied a big future for the Thames Valley. In the evening the Minister received a deputation in the Tourist office from the Te Aroha Borough Council, the members of which were introduced by Mr Herries. Mr John Rowe (deputy-Mayor) introduced the various matte: s on which the Council required the Minister’s assistance, the first of which was

—The Cottage Hospital Cr Montgomery briefly referred fo the urgency of a cottage hospital for this district, and r?ferred to the number of cases it was found necessary to send out of the district, some of which, as a result of having to travel, proved fatal. He pointed out that a sum had been placed on the estimates, but was never expended This amount, £I2OO should be spent immediately in the erection of a Cottage Hospital, of from 10 to 12 beds, under the Tourist Department. He asked the Minister to out the promise made by Sir Joseph Ward, when on a visit, to erect a Cottage Hospital for emergency cases.—Cr. Hubb°rd also spoke, and mentioned that the Premier was the first to suggest that a Cottage Hospital shouldibe erected at Te Aroha. The Minister said it might be an easy matter to erect a hospital, but who would maintain it afterwards, lie held out little hope of the Tourist Department doing anything in this direction. He said £I2OO would do very little towards equipping a hospital. Cr. Montgomery said he understood that the present Hamilton Hospital started on less than £IOOO. The Minister said the Hospital question was outside the province of the Tourist Department. He made various suggestions as to the mode of procedure in connection with the Hospital question. —Bridge Domain.—

The Minister said he would be pleased to send a man to draw out a scheme for future improvements of the Domain. —Water Supply The Council asked for a further grant of £25 a year for the water supplied to the Tourist Department. It was pointed out the Department is using three times as much water as originally agreed upon and for which they were not paying any more. — The Minister stated the Tourist Department was held up to ridicule be'avsi of its cost. It had a considerable deficiency. He would look into the matter.

The Deputation also asked for a subsidy towards the completion of the town drainage. A request was also made for a new post office and for a better track to the trig station, lie would look into and report to Sir Joseph Ward on the question of a new post office, and would give consideration to the other matters.

—Bowling Green— President Wallace and members of the Te Aroha Bowling Club waited on the Minister re having the c: ntemplated works starred and pushed on, so that it would be playable m January next. — Various saggestions were made re additional groen, e‘c. — Mr Wallace claimed that the Bow ing Green is self-supporting. He trusted Mr McKenzie would do his best for them.—Mr McKenzie replied that it would be very hard to refuse a President like Mr Wallace. Ho would do his best in the matter.