IN THE BACKBLOCKS.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 April 1919, Page 5

IN THE BACKBLOCKS.

THE MINISTERIAL PARTY. , i Hon. Sir William Fnuer, Minister ot Public Works, and Hon. D. H. QfltllfiQi . Minister of Lands, left Stratfort by «#■ ' tor car on Tuesday morning, «n ronte -. to the Whangamomona and Ohura eoattt • ties. The party was accompanied Messrs. W. T. Jennings, M.P., G; H. Bui* lard (Commissioner of Crown Lands), v. ' Hislop (member of tie Land Board)* H. , H. Sharp (district roads engineer),and , VV. A. McCutchan (chairman of thewliangamoraona County Council). At Strathmore the party turned up the Brewer Road and visited the Makahu tunnel, the timber roof of wMflb i* decaying and allowing slabs of pupa to ' fall through, to the danger of users of the tunnel, which is open to road traffic. - Messrs. Coyne, Nolan and Rentool (members of the Whangamomona Oouafcy Council), Meredith and MeAlooa (set- . tiers) interviewed the Minister on the subject, and ho promised that Mr. :■ Sharp would report as to the best method and the cost. The question of an old subsidy was touched on, and the Minister promised to look into this. Whangamomona was racked about* lunch time, and the party was welcomed by Mr. W. McL. Kennedy, president of the Whangamomona Settlers' Assoda- • tion, and Mr. Bovis (secretary). 'After luncheon the party motored back to the Mangare Road, where hocus ware provided by the settlers, and on* of the - six-foot tracks typical of the fcHr" 1 ** 1 district was ridden along for* few niilsa, and to some of the townsmen dM not appear too inviting, even in fine weather - • conditions, and its state in winter could ' well be imagined. Those who hav# to uso it were sympathised with. Mstsri. iV Revell, Dagg and. Saywell, settlers on the road, met the party and «TT»h<M»t the. position and their requirements. On returning to Whangamomona the Minister of Lands was interviewed to; ' Messrs. A. Klee and Geever, who iwtad ' • for a subsidy to the Whangamomona Be* creation Ground, which was' the Oldty sports grojind with pavilion, eta, In the 'i district, and for which the settlers )n£d . raised £3OO for improvements. The Minister promised that Mr. Merfdith, raastr, ,'>) would report on the domain, and heJMUBSd. \ that a statement of finance shmdd be i forwarded tohim, , J

The same deputation Alio met the Mis* iater of Public Works 111 connection with the payment of a guarantee for a train on the occasion of recent (port*, and they asked the Public Works Departmnt to run a train on the occasion of tin peace celebrations. The Minister 1 * replies were satisfactory, " ' THE BANQUET, /'• • \ In the evening the Ministerial party were the guests of the Settlers' Association in the PubQo BUI which had been tastefully decorated for the occasion. Over one hundred iritlsrs from all parts of the district were prea' ent. Mr. W. McL. Kennedy preluded, Mr. W. T. Jennings being depoty ohairman. On either side of the were the Hons. Sir William Eraser Utd D. H. Guthrie. » •

Mr. A. Meredith proposed "The Par- ■ Lament of New Zealand," atatiogthat while appreciating the Work done by Parliament, they jiad a grievance, or rather required certain concessions Twen-ty-five years ago, with others, lie had launched. into the backblocks and they had reared families; indeed, many of their sons hod fought for the Bnrofcre; some, indeed, would never return. They were now loaded in the backblocks almost beyond what they could beat, "y't** > they could get some assistance mold hav&to go away after years of honl toll ,Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P., in responding, stated that he regretted the all* sence of, Major Hine, who was at the front and had done his work. welL As far as the returned soldiers and their dependents were concerned, he would' always raise his voice so that they should not have the fate of veteran's whpsi he knew, who had fought at die Crimea'and had died in the Workhouse. Settlers in the backblocks expected the Government to bring down a forward policy From this cm the toast list was inter-

speraed with remarks made by mutton of the Settlers' Association concerning the various drawback* under which Mt*> tiers in a backblocks county labored. , Each speaker put his case convincingly and earnestly, and was listened to gym- 1 pathetically by both Ministers, who expressed themselves as impressed with the earnest desire of the association to im*. prove the conditions in their district.

, Other toasts were *'! The Ministers 'of Public Works and Lands," proposed by \( Mr. Jennings, M.P., and Responded to; -4§ "The Settlers' Association," proposed by Mr. Guthrie. Sir William Fraser pro"posed: "The Chairman." \ 4

YESTERDAY'S ITINERARY. Early yesterday morning the '^j| terial party left Whangamomoni by car V-SI for Taumarunui, where they expected to \f|p join ,the Main Trunk express, ten KfUlft.*]J|f they were to receive deputation* at Ky i'® liora, reaching Ohura for lunch, ther deputations were to be reccind Matiere. ' ;