THE NATIVE MINISTER IN WAIKATO.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2079, 3 November 1885, Page 3

THE NATIVE MINISTER IN WAIKATO.

Trk Hok. John Bvllaxck, Minister for Native ArTaiis, Lands and Defence, was u jjasurnger to Hamilton by Saturday even ing's train. Ho wn» accompanied by Mr Butler, Private .Secretary, and took up his quartern at Gwynne's Hotel. On Sunday afternonthe mayor of Hamilton, Mr W. A. Graham, took the Minister for a diive in the neighbourhood. Yesterday morning a deputation, consist ing of tho mayor, Ci->. Knox, Snides, Edgecumbe, and the town cleik, Mr Gelling, waitod on Mr Ballance m refeience to various matters of local iuteie>t. The deputation was introduced by Mr J. B. Whytc. M.H.K. Tho Mayor, after some preliminary remarks, spoko as follows . -The boiough authorities have in contemplation a comprehensive scheme for the improvement and finther development of the lands within the borough, also foi poim.inent drainage and puShc buildings lequncd by the Vioiough. They are deterred fiom undertaking these linpoitant woiks on account of the l.ugo area, of Ciown lands and public reserves over which they have no control, but which must be all greatly enhanced in value by the can j ing out of tho intended iininicip.il improvements of Hamilton. It is also contemplated to piomote settlement in small aieas by offering our w.utto lands at very low rentals for the first few y^ars to induce industrioti- families from the ovcicrowded cities to come and occupy our said lands. The boinugh authorities cannot hope to bo able to carry out this scheme successfully unless they havo the extcutive power overall lands in the borough, and therefore T would beg respectfully to solicit on behalf of the borough of Hamilton tho executive power of all tho Cro»vu lands, together with, if possible, tho various public reserves in the borough. It must .i|i|x>ar to your own stviso of justice \ery unreasonable to expect a country borough in its present struggling stata to undertake upon its own responsibility the improvement of nuch a largo are.i of the public estate ; but wo think if granted the power to administer tho said lands tin behalf of the Crown we could, by offering them at low rentals, reserving the right to re-enter if necessary by awauling compensation for improvements, induce many families to come and settle in Hamilton, and thereby iwipiovp the said lands m tho borough, which are at present overgiown with fur/.o and a cou'i for i.ibbits. Waikato, as a district extending from Taupo to the Waikato Head-*, is l.ugei in ure'i than either Havvke'* Bay or T.naniiki Provincial l)i»tncts, and yet it is without a siuvey office or a land office. The work entailed upon the Suiveyoi-General's office in Auckland precludes it fiom Mipplymg Waikato ie>idents or intending settlers with information respecting the lands of the district, and although we have district siuveyors resident in Waikato there is positively not a single map of any value to give information to settlers or others who may desire to n«certun what lands am available for settlement m Waikato, and tho expenses of going to and fi»m Auckland to get information is so gic.it that few can nvnii themselves of tho oppoitunities which at present me supposed to be sufli cient for all puipn-ps. A distuct suivey office and a land office foi W.ukato are necessary to the settlement of the country, and would be more than self suppoitmg. The present borough council chamber-", and also the present court-housp, police stitu.n, library, post-orhces and othei public buildings are quite initiated to the future growth of the place, and as theiefore we havo under coiisideiation a proposal to concentrate all these vanous offices, local and general, under one roof, I would beg to be informed whether the Government would be willing to co-operate with the borough authorities in the erection of a block of buildings similar in style to those in Tauranga, in which could be accommodated the several offices mentioned, namaly, landu office and suivey office, police court and police offices, libraiy, council chambers, post and telegraph offices, and nucli other offices as may bo required for the administration of Government for the Waikato district. In support of this request f would like to diaw your attention to the very advantageous position which the Borough of Hamilton occupies from an administrative point of view, m legard to the" extensive district* (mineral, pastoral and agricultural) which surround it. The great Trunk Railway line junctioning nt Hamilton makes it the natural centre, and jwiint of access nnd egress from all the centres of population in tho Provincial District of Auckland inland south of Auckland. When the railway is completed to tho Thames Borough, Hamilton will brcomo thn apev of tho triangle formed by tho railway linen from the j»»rts of entry at Auckland and the Thames, and will therefore have two seapnts or outlets for tho agricultural nnd industrial products^ which must necessarily emanate from 'or pass through it. Hamilton is about an equal distance from tho Port of Auckland, Tatfpo, Poro-a-te "Rao Tunnel, the Thames, Tsuianga, and Kiotorua, and all pruengers and goods carried by rail to or fro»n these several important places must pass through Hamilton. And thorefoie Hamilton is the inland town moit suitable as an administrative centre for the Waikato and jnirrotinding country, and for the following vi/. : — |

I therefoie consider that the ofhees for district land sales, district surveys, di«trict cftuit* of justice, &c, will be most economically mid effectually administered from Hamilton an a common centie, and located in our block of building' 1, instead of the scattered form m whlnli they nro at present placed. Particul.uly doe« this apply to the postal and telcgiaplnc arrangement and "police court of Hamilton. Very suit.ibl« «ites arp available either tipon the land held by the borough or the Crown. And lam sure that tlio concentration of all theio offices under oije poof, wmtld stimulate progress and euonorriy of working, and therefore I would earnestly prntM this matter foinnrd for famiir able consideration. How far will the Government be prepared to «i«hist our local wtforU m this duaction by supplementing tho futidn Ut bu prov|de>J by the borough with a -{rant of money foi their portion of th« buildings, and in supplying through the Public Works Othce plans and «i>ahcation» foi a sultftblu block of buildings? It ix wtinmted that a sum of Jl<>ooowill be required to comi>lete the |>ropo«ed drainage, public building*, and other works of ad Vantage to the Hamilton acies, and it is proposed to raise by logn; vottuied upon tho revenue* of the borough, by debenture*, bearing five per cent, jiayable in .TO years, tho mini requtrod for the works to bo raise-d over a sone* of yoar*, As a matter of fact the values set U|x>n the town lands •f Hamilton in their present state, held by the Crown and by other outsido public bodies are excessive, and a barrier against settlement, and also a hmdtance to tin' borough authorities, and therefore I urn of opinion that the general < iovernment should lit onco hand oxer to tho borough all the acres not set apirt by them foi thejr own gpecihe puijHMiis, or otherwise, giant a sum of money equivalent to their mteiust in the unsold 1 mfK Mr Pj.dlance understood the mayor to mean that the borough was prepared to erect curtain buildings to b'i used foi I ioverutnmt purposes on condition that the Government icoi-vot. were vested in it. What w.ih the aicu of these reserves? Tlib Mayor <umi it vsiu between 200 and SOOucies. .\fr Ballance was not sura that the ( iov ci nuient could j^r.int the request. By the Act <>f IKK4 only ten per cent of th« res«rvft« in a borough could be handed over to tlio lic.il ntithnnty na endowment*, and thi i had been d'nie in the cane of Hamilton. The lands might be handed over as domain reserves. Th# Mayor wished to know whether it would In- possible to apply tho levenue from such lands to guneial purposes. Mr Ballance took occasion heie to romarU that personally he was quite in sympathy with th« deputation on this point, and he could tall them that the Government had no desire whatever to retain those reserves. The question was simply tin*, How could they oust effect their pin pose .' There were two conn**)* opon. Hither they might take legislative action and get an uct passed validating the transfer, or, .is ho had befoio Haid, tlio land might bo made ovui a* domain lesurves. The latter he thought the best com so. It was quite true that the revenues accruing from domain lands could <inly by law be applied to those lands, but the conditions were very elastic. Foi n. eUuce, Jie imdeistood that a drama; c

allotments would piobibly largely In'iifit by such a, Hcheine, and they sluuilii cnutiihutc towauls it. He quoted fioni the Land Act to show that the clause"* lefernng to domain I.iikK were susceptible of ti libiM.il iut(M-pift.ition. If it were sought to vest tho lands tn the boiotijrli by means of "peci.il leyiolntion, every other borouyh in tho colony would make simiLu application*. He thought the other plan was the best. When the 1 md wan once made over to the dom.im bo.nd its pntpoic might, .ifterwaids lie changed. Looking .it the area of the Borough of Hamilton, which was twice .as k'leafc as ,u>y ntnei of the s'linc popul'ition, it was only insoluble th.it the lequest uhonld be gi.uitnd, .vnd he would see wh.it could be done when he ictmncd to WollinKtnn. In the mcnntiine he would not advise tho boro'igh authouties to pioceed in the matter. Reference was made to the question of Mte, but Mr Whytc pointed out th.it that was inoiely a question uf detail, which could bo settled »t any time. 11l reference to the subject of holding land wiles in Hamilton, Mr Ballance .i^'ieed tii.it it was very deshable to hold the sales in some such centre as Hamilton. There was a District .Surveyor heic, and the W.ukato might be m.idu .v sep.n.ite dntnct. What nre.i of countiy would be atketud by the change ? The Mtyor h«id the di^hict of which Hamilton foimud the uatuial centie i-\-tended from Taupo to Waikat" Heads, and from Te Aioh.v to Kawhia. When the now load was m.ido to Katikati he believed th.it the E.i«t Coast might be included in the same distitct. Mr B.dlance said it was probable that the- East Coast would bi» on-.titut-d a ippat.itediatiict. Ho would pnyiu-e lli<deputation that on his letuin to Wellington he would ir-ako the fullest enqumes m regard to the area of land affected, i\,c., and cominunicite with the mayoi. The Mayor refened to the question of police. Mr Ballance said tlio Waikato lnd boon separated from the Auckland distuct. The head-quarters .had been lixcd at Kihikihi, becuise th.it had boon the Constabulary station, anJ the inspector vv.w outraged in carrying out the policy of the Government in smbst'tuting the civil for the military authority. The deputation wished to biing undei the notice of tho Government, tho ncees sity for Home change in reg.ud to the registration of biiths, deat lw, and inaniages. They thought the tithe, should bo" at the K.M. Couit. At pi-sent it waf in a puvato hotw in an out ot theway paitoftho town. The iegi-.tr.u, who was a nicdic.il man, was frequently ab>ent and tho duties weie pel formed bv his wife. Mr ballance said the oHicr of regi~.ti.it was geneially held by the clerk of the R. W. Court, Ho a-ked the uia-vm to write a letter to the Colonial Secietaiyon tlie wubject. Regatdmg the question of est.>bli-,lnng an ngnctiltiu.il college m the Wmk.ito, Mi JJ.d lance sud the term " college " implied huge ' buildings 1 irgo endowments and lcvcuucs &c. Foi his -)\vi\ part, ho was in favour of the pnncipleof extending the knowledge of agricultural chemistry, but he thought the object could be attained at lets o\pui-e. He believed they nho'ild establish school-, in \:nio\ts paits of tho colony, upon a modest scale, with, say, ahuudied acres of land attached. The teachers need not be piofos-ioH, but men able to ground tho pupils in tho elements of the, science. He had just started such a school at Wlungarei, and they might, if it pioved successful, take it as a model. The Govern luent had asked the county louncil to assi-t. The land available amounted to about 100 acre.*, and it was not pn>po-,ed to put up any elaboi.tte buildings. The teacher's sal.uy would prob.ib.ily come out of tho educition vote, and the school would, it was hoped, in other lewpects be self-suppin-tin^. As far as '-ollegps, such as that at Lincoln, C.inteibury, went, he did not think the benefits domed from them were at all (.ommeusiirate with then Co-ts The Mayor said it was vciy niipoit.int, that the settlers should obtain a bettei knowledge of the quality of then land and its adaptability to the growth of ditleientaops He presumed that the Government would be prepared to help the local authoiities to the extent of giving laud, apparatus &c. Mr Ballnnce suggested that they should coufei with the c(junty councils and see what could be done. He had no doubt the (iovernment would aisist. The Mayor asked if it was likely that anything could be done to attach a footway to the Hamilton railway bridge. A large niimbei of poople used the budge, and a" it was impossible to stop them there was consequently a great liability to accidents. Tho boiuugli could not grant any funds, because "no end of the hudgo was not within its boundaiios but he believed that half the cost could be laired privately, if the Govctnmutit gave the balance, Mr Whyte said tho leply he had received fioni Mr Kicl.aidson was to the effect that the engineers were opposed to tho scheme. They said the footway would, by increasing tho suiface exposed to the wind, endanger the stiuctuie ; but this to his (Mr Wliyto's) mind was uti absurdity. Mr (idling said that since the matter was roferre 1 to the Government a new plan for tho footway had been designed. It whs 1 now proposed to use iron piping, which would render the stiucture lighter. In answer to Mi Ballanco, tho Mayor said the cost of tho work was estimated at about £300. Mr Whvtc «aid the proposal had been condemned by Mi IJlackett m the hist instance because he thought tho Hamilton people wore getting too many luxuries, and evei since he had felt bound to put his foot down. Mi Balance suggested that the now plnn« should be submitted to the Ministti foi Tublic Woiks, who niigl't possibly see his way to meet their wishes. The Mayor nuked if it was the intention of the Government to do anything with icfcience to the petition re railway refoini, signed by the representatives of some 10,000 ur .")0,000 people. As chairman of the Railway League he had been denned to bring the question under the jiotice of the Minister, Mr Ballance said, so far as Mr V.ulo's scheme was concerned, the subject had been exhausted. Mr Whyte said he understood Mr Graham to mean, whatever the incuts of Mr Vaile's schemp, would tho Govern - mont diipf'Hed to examine other schemes ? The petition did nut oonnno itself to Mr Vaile's scheme, Mr Ballauco thought the question, being puiely one of admiimtiatiou, might be loft in tho hands of the Government. Mr Vaile's Hellenic had been examined mid condemned as impiactic.ihlc. Tho Mayor wud what the pctitioneis wanted wa&> a commission to coquuu into tho wholo question of r.ijlw.iy policy and management, and he submitted that the object sought could bo bettei attuned by a body of nwn rumoved from political in f) nonces, Mr l'all.ince said if tljey proceeded on the basis of Mr Vaile's scheme, there was not .sufficient to justify the appointment of » commission. Mr Vasle made a gieat n ror. He calculated upon • a largo population. In Kngland sucn u sohume an he pioposed might succeed, but it was stiauge that it had i|ot been adopted thero. They might depend upon it tliat the groat companies in England had thoroughly uvuiiinud th« whole question. Mr Whyto said thuro was general discontent with the management, of the ladwayn, the complicated taiilfs, <!fce. The Public J'utitioiH Cominittoc, who had, he admitted, :v gteat deal to do, had only cousideied Mr V.ule'rf win me, 'M> Ualjiiiiue rt.ud the object of the Government was to s C cuio uniformity, .m<l the anomalies complained of ciept m fioM that vary cause, If the lines belonged to pt i\ ,tte coinpnuiei ditfaicub iiit<-s would obtain in dllfeient parts of the colony, but the Government coiiM nut do tin-. Iho objections Illged weie it M-enied to lnu>, objectloiiH to a piinpiplu which mn-t prevjn 1 . Mr Gr.ih.uu »aid th > freights and ehaiges etit upcvciythine, Mr Ballance presumed that the uulway earned pioduco at a ahuupei ratu than the WiigffoiH used to do. Mr Grtthum admitted tin-, but pointed out that the prices of produce, fco,, hud fullen. Mi liallancp said it was necessary that tho railways should be made to pay, eKo they would h.ive to have recomso to fiesh I taxation. Mi < > rati.iin Maid the railways were not likel} to pay if those who now used them weie unable to continue to do so. Mr B.illance i-aid the Government had (jiven tlii-t que-tion the closest attention, and they might depend tjpou it thoy were doing sot<till. He quite agreed thut whuie nn industiy could be fo-tered or mi expmt nw creased by loweiing the fi eight withou 1 ; deci rasing' the revenue it should bo done, and it had been done m various parts of the co'otiy. The deputation then, huving thanked the Minister for lm cuurtovuß locoption and iittonti^ii, wjthvirjw,

Immediately after, Captain Steele, who was unable tn attend eaihei, waited on the Mini^tci liiiegaid to tho quc-ti m «f i.iilvvay icfoini. Mi (tiaham wasaWo piesent. Cai)t.ain Steclo pointed i"iit the disabilities under which the di-tnct lab.nm owing to the exibting sj'-tein, and stioiigly ur^'cd tin- need for refoiin. Replying to Mi JJallanco, he said the Mipjmitpis of reform were quite juopared to back theii opinions, and he for one was quite willing to guar.iutec a sum tow aids indemiiityiiig the Government against lo«s in making a \>\.\c tical tt->t of VaileV hcliciup. He wa-, all tho more willing to do tins because ho was smc that he would nevri be c illo<l upon foi his contribution. After Home further convention, Mr liillancc said the r;ui'-tion had iisMinifd a ditfeient phase, and ho would In ing it befoie the Government. The lion. Mi Puihnco loft for Alexandra at 10 a.m. in a buggy, and ai lived at his dtstination in the afternoon. Ho will remain at Alov.india over to dtv. It is not likely that he will visit Wliatiwlwtilioc iinlus-, speciallj invited.

1. Taupo (Howen) 2. Rotorua 3. Lichfirld 4. Oxford r>. Te Aroha t\. Waihou 7. Morrnjsvillo 8. Cjinbudgu (». Kihikihi 10. Kmniltou 11. le Awamutu 13. AlexanUin 13. Hiir.app|m 14. \Vhatawhat-i 1."). Xg.vrUiiWtihidi 10. Taupni 17. Huntly 18. Rin^iiiri VX Mercer 20. Waik.it" Heads