ADVANCES TO SETTLERS ACT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXX, Issue 89, 16 April 1896, Page 4

ADVANCES TO SETTLERS AC T.

DEPARTMENTAL ROW WITH A MINISTER. ' Says the Wellington "Post":— •• At a meeting of the Advances to Settlers Board held recently, the Hon. Jno. McKenzie attended in the absence of his colleague the Treasurer. Being there instead of dealing with eaoh application before the Board upon its merits, the Minister, it is said, used language about those present and their management that certainly he would not venture to use in Parliament. Fortunately, however, it would seem that Mr Warburton was not afraid of the Minister, and told him in a quiet way his duty, and tbat others could talk 'at large' as well as the political head of the Lands Department. The Minister naturally was not appeased by this show of independent self-respect, hut, perhaps, fortu- . nately for the colony, he did not bend the civil servants present so his will." The morning journal gives, from Ministerial authority, the following account of the affair : — " The Minister, with whom we have talked on the subject, assureß us that his language was not in any way deserving of the criticism beßtowed upon it. At the same time we have his authority for saying that he told the Board plainly what he. thought of its dilatory ways. On that subject he spoke his mind freely, as ho maintains he had aright to do, seeing that his deoartment has been inundated with complaints from settlers in every district from the North- Cape to the Bluff. The Minister assures us that he will take an early opportunity to ventilate the matter from a public platform, He has no wish to coerce the Board in any way ; but he objects to the dilatoriness of the Board's proceedings, for which neither he nor the < overnment are in any way responsible."