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HON. HALL ON TOUR.

THE EAST COAST BSILWAY.

(By Telegrapfe-rfipectel to the "Star. _

RGTORUA. Friday. Before leaving Te Puke, the Minister received a number of deputations. The East Coast Railway League urged the early construction of an East Coast railway, and Mr. H. J. G_. chairman of the League, pointed out that there waa really no safe harbour ia the Bay ol Plenty. When a boat got into any of them h. was never known when she might be able to get out again. He offered to take the -Minister through, that he might see the possibility and desirability of making the line, and the Premier had said it would be the cheapest line to make in the colony, and would pay almost from the start. -The cost ot formation would not amount to anything like £300 a mile. Mr. Herries, MJELR., said he had no doubt the line would pay well from the commencement. It would open up a large district, and connect it with Auckland and the general railway system of the North Island. During the 25 years he had been in the "Waikato he had seen oveT 200 miles of railway opened, and in 25 years from now he hoped to see the railway completed between Opotiki, WaiM, and Mercer, which he considered to be the last coast unit. He was satisfied that the Minister for Public Works had the interests of the district at heart, and would get an early survey made, and ii that was satisfactory would have the line placed in the list of authorised lines. Several others also spoke. The Hon, Hall-Jones, in reply, said he realised their difficulties. They were doing their best, but not getting the best results of their labours. Other parts of the colony were being railed, and the iron road should always be the State road. When their roads were_relieved of the heavy traffic a great diminution would result in the expense of their maintenance. A line from there to Mamaku would not only be a great advantage, but would increase the capacities of their district. He would be surprised if Mr. Blow and himself should not be of the same opinion as to the route the line should take. NATIVE LAND. Mr D. J. McEwen, in speaking on behalf of a deputation with, reference to the seexiring of native lands, said that Mr Hall-Jones had expressed himself pretty definitely with regard to that subject. The Government had undoubtedly attempted to deal satisfactorily with the question, and Europeans were anxious to take up the lands. He wished to draw the Minister's attention to the fact that where native titles had been individualised the individual frequently held no more than from two to ten acres in one block. Such a block was not worth while taking up from the European point of view. In anything less than 180 acres the cost ot , getting the signatures of the Maoris and the consent of the authorities would amount to more than the value of tbe j land itself. He suggested that when natives held small areas in different , blocks they should be allowed to exchange so as to get all the land in one section. The trouble of the noxious weed with regard to native lands was another matter brought under Mr Hall-Jones' notice.

In replying, the Minister said that previously the na_ve land question had only been brought under his notice in large individualised areas.

Mr Herries suggested that the case cf exchange of areas might be dispensed with if the natives were relieved of the stamp duties. It was also suggested that the Government should acquire the lands, and deal with them under the Lands for Settlement Act. Mr Hall-Jones said that these lands could be dealt with under the Act. and he promised to bring their suggestions before, his colleagues. After the desirability of dealing stringently with the noxious weeds had been impressed on the Minister, the deputation withdrew.

TE PUKE TO ROTOB.UA.

During the night the rain set in, and when morning dawned very little was to he seen save masses of rain-laden clouds, -which were emptying their moisture in right liheral style upon the countryside, and incidentally the road over which the Ministerial party proposed travelling. The outlook from the travellers' point of view was anything but promising, hut marching orders had gone forth, and about halfpast nine the coach drew up to the door and loaded up with the members of the party started off on the 37-mile journey to RotoTua, followed by an essort of Te Puke residents and the cheers of a large collection of settlers who had gathered to witness the departure of the only Minister the district had been visited by in ten years. Along the coach road rivulets were pouring and whirling, where the day before had been dust hair a cozen inches deep, and the welcome liquid was soaking up the rich lands on either side to the huge content of the Te Puke farmer, for no rain had fallen to speak of since the previous November. In spite of this, however, the country was looking far greener than the i.asture lands round Auckland, and after the coach had rumbled over the bridge of the Kaitunu Stream and turned along towards the Bangmui-road, the crops of turnips and maize that were seen at frequent intervals on either Side, bore ample .testimony to the fertility that 30 odd years ago had induced the early settlers of Te Puke to enter into possession of the land. That is to say, so far as they were able, for the native lords of the soil, after disposing of a portion of their patrimony, began to look askance at the wholesale occupation by the pakeha, and afterwards were sorry, for as their numbers diminished and their readiness to quit more land to the eagerly-desirous purchaser returned, they awakened to the fact that their case was a reversal of the adage, "The will is strong, but the flesh weak." The consequence is now that thousands of acres of rich land of promise are lying in a state of fernclad unproductiveness or dotted here and there with mere shreds and patches of primitive native cultivation. In two blocks alone along the proposed line of ,the rail some 6000 acres of native land are lying idle. Between Te Puke and jthe Mamaku bush, a distance of 11 miles, I *he contour of the country along this stretch is entirely differenjfc to that passed through by the Ministerial party in the earlier part of the trip. Looked at from a distance, It appears really level, but in driving through it the voyager is continually crossing gullies— some wide, and others steep—that contribute to give the wbole country a down-like resemblance, which is increased by the fact that it ever rises in more or less gradation from Te Puke, 90ft above sea. level, to Mamaku, 120 ft,

in a distance of about 30 miles. Probably, there is ho 30 "miles. of_ country th*t _ads itself so well to ch«_p railway .comrtruction, for nearly the whole distance _o_i be surveyed along the crown of tbe apnrs and ridgea which, after the bush is entered, narrow along the proposed route to tie great ridge between the Koituna and the Manga*ewa gorges. The capabilities of the country can. be somewhat gauged from the fact.that over 700 head of fat cattle were marketed from, the Te Puke district last year, most of them having been driven as stores through from, the Waikato. The value of the land opened up is estimated now at from £ 7 to £10 per acre, and this, notwithstanding that the only eommunicatian with the outside world is by road, and at Tauranga, 18 miles to Rotorua, a few years back it was bought at £3 and £4 per acre, and when the railway is constructed £15 ia confidently quoted as the immediate result. Along the new Rangiururoad the route enters the famous Mamaku bush, and here is also a vast area for future development when the forest disappears. Most of it is Crown land, although a considerable quantity is still native owned. In the bush is a quantity of valuable rimu timber, which is already being tapped, while in several places the settler has already been at work with the wasteful but effective firebrand in his eagerness to cultivate the soiL The Ministerial party branched off from the proposed line of rail some 10 miles from Mamaku, and took the Oropi-road to Rotorua. After winding across the Mangarewo gorge, the grand rugged beauty of which could be faintly discerned through the driving mist of rain, the dozen odd additional miles to Rotorua were covered by about seven o'clock, the whole party being thoroughly wet through, and quite content to have done with coaching for that day.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19060324.2.59

Bibliographic details

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 72, 24 March 1906, Page 7

Word Count
1,477

HON. HALL ON TOUR. Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 72, 24 March 1906, Page 7

HON. HALL ON TOUR. Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 72, 24 March 1906, Page 7

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