Parliamentary.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 192, 22 August 1901, Page 3

Parliamentary.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The Hod. W. J. Steward asked the Minister of Railways, Whether he will make provision for the erection of a grain shed and improving the loadingbank and aiding at McLean's station, on the Wai-mata-Waihao Downs branch railway ? A number of the settlers of Waikakahi had already approached the Minister upon this question, and he would like now co hear what the honourable gentleman had to say on the matter. Sir J. G. Ward (Minister of Railways) said the traffic at this station was not sufficient to warrant the Department incurring the expense that would be necessary to give effect to the request. He was informed the existing accommodation was ample for the amount of business done at the station. The total amount of grain forwarded from this station during the last six months was 87G0 bags. The Hon. W. J. Steward asked the Minister of Lands, Whether his attention had been called to the neoessity for preserving to the public the right of road over ana. along riverbeds; and whether he will take measures to effeot this, either by vesting riverbeds in the local governing bodies as reserves for public use, or in some other way preventing the public being deprived of their privileges ? The origin of the question was this : Complaints had reached him from his district that a gentleman wishing to travel in the usual course along a certain river-bed, along which there had been a right-of-road for very many years, found himself stopped by a settler, who claimed to have the sole right to the use of that riverbed. The Hon. T. Y. Duncan (Minister of Land) said that the public had no right-of-road at all along many of the river-beds of the colony. In the early days lands were often sold with a river a 3 a boundary, and this by law gase the owners the title of the land up to the middle of the stream, together with riparian rights. The law for, the last ten years had been that the Crown Bhould, in disposing of land, reserve of sale a chain wide on the margin of the sea-shore, on the margin of all lakes exceeding 50 acres in area, and on the banks of all rivers exceeding 88ft wide. He would inquire the matter,' ana see whether it would "not-be, wise to take some eteps to recover the right to all"or nearly all the mew in which input had been liberated in

this colony, so that anglers should have the right to go along theai for recreation and sport. The Hon. W. J. Steward asked the Minister of Lands, Whether he has received a petition from the BeJoliffand Takifcu districts praying that the benefit of the 10 per oent. rebate on prompt payment of rent may be extended to holders of leases of small glazing runs ; and whether he proposes to amend the law so as to enable this to b« done. The Hon. Mr Duncan said it was not contemplated to give the small grazing-run holders this privilege, as some of them only paid 2£ per cent. Their case was altogether different from the settlers under the Land for Settlements Act, or even ordinary Crown lands, and the leases were generally short.