THE PREMIIER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 76, 28 March 1908, Page 7

THE PREMIIER.

VISIT TO PAPAKURA AND

DISTRICT.

The Prime Minister, accompanied by ■yj T. W. Lang, M.P., motored through Panniure and Howick. districts yesterday, afternoon. The first scop was mado a t" Otahuhu, ivhere the school was inspected and the children addressed. The residents were then met in the Otahuhu Hall Mr. John Todd, chairman of the Otahuhu Road Board, presiding.

Mr. A. Sturges made a request for the

duplication of the railway line from Penrose to Otahuhu, pointing out that there were several manufactories in the district, and the duplication would be profitable as well as advantageous. The Premier said that he would be very glad to consider tiie matter, but the Department would have to wait until the duplication between Auckland and Penrose was complete. This was the first time that the matter had been brought before him, but if it were found that the line would not carry the traffic they would have to consider the duplication. Mr. Sturges then introduced the question of telephone charges. Dissatisfaction was expressed at the suburban charge of £25 for installation in addition to 3d for every call. Only six of twenty-Sve wires to Otahuhu were used. The" Premier said that the cos: was due to the extra mileage involved. There ■was an average c-ott of £2 per mile lor naintaming telephone lines. If the 3d per cail were not maintained, the Deprtment would be run at a loss. la reply to a question by Mr. Sturaes as to how he accounted for the great disparity in the charges between New Zealand and the United States the Prime Minister said: "I'll bet £10 to a gooseberry that on investigation it will be fimnd that the telephone charges in the Dominion are 50 per cent lower than in the United States. ■ In America they have the tell system. Perhaps there is a nominal charge for installation, but if jou have to pay a fee for every call it runs into a large sum per annum. We are serding telephones into the recesses of the country at very much below cost, vrith the idea that by-and-bye people vill be there, but we can't do'the same .There population already exists."

At Otahuhu, the Prime Minister, in reply io Mr. J. Brady of the Town Board, said he would be glad to have a telegraph office provided if the business trarranted it.

Another welcome greeted Sir Joseph at Papatoetoe, and the school children Ttere given a holiday in honour of his visit. The local post oflice was inspected.- and the Prime Minister found that the Department had already applied for a site, and were erecting the office.

At 3.5 p.m. Papakura was reached, md the local Town Board banqueted the Prime Minister, who subsequently received a number of deputations. Mr. D. M. Jones brought up the subject of the Papakura Domain, and explained that the domain was really a railway reserve, which was rented by the Town Board for 21 years at a small annual rental! Considerable money had been spent by the Board in improvements, and they were prepared to spend a lot more. The Railway Department had expressed its willingness to cancel the .lease and issue a fresh one at an in-

, creased rental. The Board were not in L a position to pay the increased rental, and asked if it could be arranged to king .the reserve under the Public Do-1 mains Jet of ISSI. The railway business 1 Kpuld not "be interfered with for a considerable time by the taking of the reserve. Mr. Jones also asked for a Government gTant to make the reserve more fitted for public recreation. Sir Joseph promised' to submit the representations made to him to the Min,ister for Railways. He thought there | vonld he great difficulty in getting the transfer asked for, but it might be possible for the reserve to be rented to them for a number of years at a peppertorn rental.

A request by Mr. Flanagan, of Drury, for an earlier train from Drurv to Auckland than the 9.30. and a later train Wk than the 4.15 from Auckland, elicited a promise from the Prime Minister to lay the matter before the Minister lor Railways.

In reply to Mr. Goodwin Smith, of tbf Papakura Road Eoard, the Prime Minister promised that the question of the Government taking control of the Great South-road, or giving a sufficient grant to maintain it properly, should receive consideration wnen the estimates were dealt with.

In answer to Mr. Cave, Sir Joseph Said he ivas prepared to authorise a telepaone line between Auckland and Papa£wa. as the township had not a doctor

A deputation from the Cleveland Railway League urged the claims for construction of the Anckland-Paeroa railway toe from Papakura. via Cicvedon. Sir <">sep?i replied that the line so far had tot been authorised. After authorising "ways, the Government only consider«a_the question of route from noirit to Ptunt, and the route was settled after termination by the Dppartment's offi-

SoTrick was nest visited, and Mr. Gil- ; ™W president of the Town Board, poached the question of a new post Ufa The Priine -..Minister said that SWO was on the estimates for the °™. and after what he had seen he bought the building was urgently needj ;& c w °uid give instructions for plans *°. and the work proceeded £WW immediately. t<m*/ oSeph P Toniifed to favourable provided proper steps were Of tl," t<^ a rec l ue£t h 7 Mr. Speechlav. •' we Papakura Road Board, for 'a jgSgd for pound subsidy on a loan of ~iud which the Beard was raisin- under Wtr&P Eodies Act for expenditure , c Pa pakura East and Tamaki-road. (mtf nilniber ° f ° ther m ' nor loCal re - ttT WeTe P r «niised consideration, and retu rned to town after tea, **ching Auckland at 7.30.

DEPARTURE FOR THE SOUTH.

jV| T iteS f ph Ward left for the South h y Wt v -° Wai to " da >'- He leaves the S_BW a P ier an d proceeds overland to OiW whence be goes to Central teqvuT ' the Minhter for Lands t0 ■EaL. C lnto tlle irrigation question. *iat 1 uc k* ant l province in order to -tiawnia. A number of the PreSrhi4 ? ersonal friends assembled at the to-day to bid bun farewell