HON. W. HALL -JONES'S VISIT TO DUNEDIN

INSPECTION OF PUBLIC WORKS

DEPUTATION AT CAVERSHAM,

The Hon. W. H«ll-Joncs, Minister of Public Works, had a bu=y day yesterday. Besides attending to a. large number of departmental matters and answering quite a host of telegrams, he inspected the tram routes m and around the city, visitud the. works of - the Ocean Beach Domain Board, received a deputation as Caycrsham, and paid a sui prise visit" to tho Benevolent Institution at Caversham. This was his programme for the morning. On returning to the Grand Hotel for lunch tho Minister received intimation of the death of his oxcolleaguo the Hon. W. C. Walker, Speaker of the Legislative Council, and at once wired to the family cxpreasiu? his sincere condolence with them in ih-ir c ad bereavement. In the afternoon the hen. arnllrmaa looked over the proposed line of che Kaikorai Valley iail\vay.

ROUTE OF THE ELECTRIC CARS

At 9 o'clock the Hon. Mr Hall-.lones, accompanied by Mr Thomas Scott (Mayor of Dun-edin) and Mr T. Christie (chairman of tho Tramway* Committee), Vft the Post Office in a special car, wbuch w.« drn-cn by Mr W. G. T. Goodman, and »cm a» fi'i" as Normanby. The working of the car"fa machinery \va=, explained by Mr Goodman, who also gave some practical illustrations of the effectiveness of the brakes, bringing the car up on oue occasion within a remarkably short distance. R&iurnmg to the city the Minister was escorted through the powerhouse iv Cumberland street, where the splendid steam plant was inspected. The narty, lugnicnted by Mr T. K. Sidey, M.H.R.. and Mr E. R. L\?h&r, district engineer, left tbe Grand Hotel in cabs at half-past 10 for South Dune din. On rerching Ogg's Corner they w< re met by Mr J. Chetwin. .Mayor cf 'South Dunedin, and a oonver-atior.al iliscu *io'i took pace with regard to tho question cf widening certain road& m the locality to noi-mit^ of a double lino of tra.u uuli bmig laid. Furbury road, froiv ri - . Clair to Cargill rod, and other route- to he taken by the. clcitr.c cai"3 were al c o pointed out.

THE DOMAIN BO UtD'S WOUK

At the Ocean Beach, Mr J. H. Jtla':cock, chairman of the Ocean Beach Domain Board, showed the Minister the operations of the Domain Board and the difficulties they have had to contend against in their efforts to arrest the driftiag sand. The party did not walk northward, but southward. Mr Hancock pointed cut the excellent effect tho man-am grass, the lupin c . and fho biush fences have had in forming hillocks and banks of sand. The marram grass and the lupins are growing well, and appear to be doing their work most satisfactorily. The Minister expressed his satisfaction with the

result of tho difficult task tho board lies in J hand, and -strongly counselled the planting i of more lupins — shrubi that throw cut a con a id-era bio number of branches from tho on© root, and so retain much of the windblown sand. At St. Clair Mr Sicley and Mr Hancock directed tho attention • fco tho groin running out into tho eurf. Mr Hancock pointed out -that the groin ha? already done excellont service — exactly what was expected from it, — and ho is confident j that if several other groins were nut in they would iraterially assist in. heaping tip the ' «and, and the rosult would be that more and more sand -would be thrown back on tho J beach, against th© old road, and in that -way , a considerable stretch of beach, would fco > fo*nvod^-6ome4hing like tho beach of old. j The Minister will give further consideration J to Hug matter on his return to Wellington, i

CAVERSHAM BOWLING GREEN. j

The Minister, accompanied by Mr T. K. Sidey, M.H.R., and Mr E. R. Ussher, then drovo to the Immigration Barracks an Caversham, where th-sy wert> met by a deputation consisting of Messrs J. A. Kirby, R. ■ Rutherford, JR. W. Rutherford, and A. Cowie, representing' the newJy-formed Bowling Club at Caversham. The request they had to make was that half an acre of the Immigration Barracks land, which be'ongs to the Government, might be leased to the-m for a term of 21 years for the purposes of a bowling gre&n and lawn tennis courts. The section they desire to acquire adjoins the* main road and the Caversham. Gasworks land, and it- was urged upon the Minister that the euin of £300 would have to- bo expended in laying out the courts and in erecting «. pavilion

The Hon. Mr Hall-Jones said the only , way ho could let the club have the ground ; would be on Eiifferance. He recognised ; they would have to lay out a considerable sum. The fact was, however, that the Government now required co much land for different purposes that he could not say when they might want this land; at anyrafce, he woald «ot like to give it for a fixed ' tenure. It might b& given, subject to re- ' lease by the club at any time at six months' notice.

Mr Sidc-y did not see that there was any possibility of th© ground being required for any public purposo in the meantime.

The Hon. Mr Hall-Jones said the Govern- , ment was always very jealous of parting with land, because if it bought land at ' any time it had to pay a. high pric9 for j it. If the club liked to take th© section it ( might be arranged, although it would have to bei given up when required. j

Mr Kirby did not think that, in view of the large amount that would have to be spent, such a tenure would be sufficiently , secure. They would like to have a long i lease, if possible. >

After some further discussion, the Minister said he would procure from Mr Uasher a plan of the whole ground and submit the matter to the Cabinet, and <=cc what could be done. Even if he gave a lea&a for 15 or 20 years he would expect more than a peppercorn rental. He would want a fair sum, but nothing unreasonable. Mr Sidey pointed out that there wa3 no recreation ground in Caversham. They would rely on the Minister doing what he could for them. The land was now lying idle, and it was unsightly, but the club's efforts would beautify it.

AT THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.

The Miuistev expressing a wish to see the Benevolent Institution, he was conducted there by Mr Sidey, and shown over the institution by Mrs Mcc, in the temporary absence of Mr Mcc, manager of the institution. The women's workroom was visited, and Mr Hall-Jones spoke a few kindly words to a number of the inmates. Some of thorn were dressmaking, others knitting or darning, one or two were reading, o,tid two, who were afflicted with partial blindness, wero apparently simply listening to tho talk. For those who have good si^ht the pictures on the walls are not much to look at : the mos* conspicuous are a couple of racehorses. The women's sleeping rooms were also inspected. The sick room has half a dozen inmates. In the men's quarters the party found about 50 men in one room. Some had been playing draughts, and a quartet were engaged in a game of cribbage. Others were walking about as well as their aged limbs would allow them. The men's sleeping- rooms and the sick room were next visited. The dining room is a comfortless place, with its bare walls and wooden forms, and in the winter time it must bo very cold. Before lea\ing. the Minu'kr called upon Mr Johr Graham, better known as "Jock" Graham. He is now 80 years of ago, but s-_till hearty, though he is not so hpai'ty as he was, say, wher he had the bookstall on the old Dunedin railway station. He was pleased to see the Minister, and had a short chat with him on political bubjoct«. There ars 260 inmates m the Home at prevent. Tho party were plcaecd to find that the institution throughout was clean and tidy.

VI^IT TO THE KAIKORAI VALLEY.

In tho oßpruoan the Minister, accompanied by the Hons. D. Pinkenon and W. M. Bolt. M.L.CVs, Messrs H. D. Bedford, .7. A. Millar, J. F. Arnold, M.H.R.'p, John Ross T. W. Kcrnpiho.no, and J. Hunter, inspected tho louto of tho proposed railway tip the Kaikorai Valley from tho Cattle Yard^,. While in the district the party a!=o went through the Roslyn Woollen Mills under tho conduct of Mr Ros==, of Ross and Glcndining (Limited), tho proprietors of the mil I?.

The Hon. W. Hall Jones (Minister of Public Work-), accompanied by bit- pi-i\.ite secretary 'Mr G. Schmidt), armed m Dmieclm on Monday by the north exnrri ■„ and wn- m: t at tlio railway -tfition by a ir.nnbi r of mcmbeis of Parliament. The llinteter"present \isit to this pare of tho colony v.ill only extend o-vcr a few da} «. Tho honourable ge^tlc-nan £or= up the Otago Centra! line, |oir:iny.:i2; a^ far as Ophii. as he is an>.n.i<? 1o net that =ation opered with as little delay as tos-iok. He returns to Dtniediu <mi I hm-dav night, Dnd, it, br iu< necc- c ary that ho -ho'il ! b-» in Y\"ol'i igion on Mondhy or Ti.c-da\, !i ■ lea\es f^r tho north on Fnday morning.

The Hakataramea salmon hatchery has Lecn doing excellent wcrk during the ■'hire years for which it has bet n open, and bcfoi.* returning to Wellington this, wtek tlie. Hun W. Hall-Jones, Mmi>t°r of Mm mo, mlcmK to pay it a visit to inspect its capabilit'"i and deCide what extensions it may bo adMsable to undertake in the fu'.tuc.