SETTLERS' ROADS AND CLOSER SETTLEMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3195, 22 May 1909, Page 5

SETTLERS' ROADS AND CLOSER SETTLEMENT.

DISCUSSION AT CHAMBER OP COMMEKCE. NEED FOR GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE. ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE CHAMBER. At the meeting of the Council of the Masterton Chamber of Commerceyesterday afternoon, Mr J. C. Ewington brought ap the question of opening up the various country roads to Masterton mentioned in the article in the Wairarapa Age yesterday morning. Mr Ewington said there was no question about the great good that would accrue to Masterton through making the town more accessible to settlers, and also in opening up the Whareama Fishery. He particularly favoured the matter of putting the Alfredton settlers into better and shorter communication with the town, the importance to Masterton of this being* very great. He thought that now the member for Masterton was a Cabinet Minister his efforts to remedy the matters under discussion migh*-. be more successful. The opening of roads to present settlements was linked up with a still more important matter, namely, closer settlement, j So far as the town of Masterton was concerned the present time showed more than at any previous period how urgently necessary it was for Masterton to re:eivo its dues in the way of the opening up of the country for closer settlement. The good results of sub-dividing IT-ge areas was to be seen on all Innis in the South Wairarapa electorate, and now it •*a' lime Mastertm came in for an equal shar3 of this progrsssive devJjpment. T..e town had quite out-gr-jwu the counry, and it was, or should be the defire of the Chamber to hava this stste of things reversed. It was x.ly some eight months ago when the speaker and Mr W. Bennett had secured 600 signatures to a petition in Masterton for the purchase by the Government of lea and Bowlahds stations, which could then be bought from the owners. Thi3 movement lapsed for the want perhaps of a Jittle further prosecuting. The only remedy for the existence slackness in business in Masterton seemed to rest in pushing on the work of subdivision and road development, and he thought the Chamber should move in the matter before Parliament sat. He would suggest that a committee be set up to deal with the matter. Mr J. D. Cruickshank said he was strongly in favour of that portion of ;• Mr Ewington's remarks which dealt with the pushing on of road development. So far as closer settlement was concerned, however, the political element was so much involved in the matter that he could not agree with Mr Ewington's suggestion that the Chamber should take up that question, as it was not properly within the province of the Chamber. Mr Ewinsrton said he was very decidedly of opinion that such a matter, which made for the good of the whole community, was a matter quite within the Chamber's scope. He would, however, leave that point to the Chairman. Mr G. C. Summerell (Chairman) said he felt, with Mr Cruickshank, that it might be better if a matter like closer settlement, where political issues were involved, were not discussed by the Chamber. Mr Ewington saifl he was not suggesting for a moment that the Government should act in a way antagonistic to the interests of landowners. His remarks were directed to purchase of land by the uovernment by way of negotiation. Mr V. Donald remarked that the opening up of Langdale had certainly greatly benefited Masterton. The Chairman said he conceded that good had undoubtedly accrued by the sub-division of Langdale, but on the other hand expensive resumption, such as Tawaba, in South Wairarapa, was an illustration to the opposite effect, Mr Ewington said he was not convinced that the matter was outside the Chamber's province, and he moved that the following form a committee to bring the matters being discussed under the notice of the Government: —Messrs C. E. Daniel!, V. Donald, A. Henderson, E. H. Waddington and the mover, this committee to have power to add to its number. Messrs Wynn-Williarns and Henderson thought that the political aspect which had been given to the closer settlement question made it a difficult matter fo:- the Chamber to deal with. Mr Ewington eventually agreed to make his motion apply to roads only, and it was then, seconded by the Chairman and carried unanimously.