MR FRASER'S NORTHERN TOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 76, 31 March 1913, Page 6

MR FRASER'S NORTHERN TOUR.

AN INSTRUCTIVE TRIP. The Hon. \V. Frasor, Minister of Tublie Works, returned to Aucklaud on hat- ! unlay evening from his fortnight's lour of the North Auckland peninsula. I'poii ' leaving I'a.paroa on Saturday morning the j Minimer fuul his first experience of nor- ! them roads after rain. for after a night's I rain the heavy clay stuck to the wheels : in such a way that rendered the task of;: hauling the party quite beyond the pow- ; ers of the three horses attached to till' brake. The consequences were, that a : great part of the distance to Paparoa hail i to be tramped through the glutinous com- , pound. At Ilelensviile a deputation from ', the Town Board sought the Government's ; assistance in the rebuilding of the swing j bridge over the Helensville River, which will cost u-bout £2.000. Mr. Fraser promised to obtain an engineering rp.port on j the bridge and to communicate the Gov- ! ernment's intention later. As the result of his tour the Minister expressed his surprise at the great ox- i tent of land suitable for profitable farm-j ing that he hud passed , . Jt was cloar. he ■ snid. thai the North bad not been one- j quarter developed, partly owing to the ■ costly nature of road work in the peninsula, nnd partly to (He fact that a considerable area belonged to the natives, who paid no rnju! rates, thus gTeatiy inoirp.asing the bnrrien of the loca , bodies. He expressed the hope tha.t the knowledge gained by his trip would enable him to make good use of whatever money could be. spared for the furtherance of settlement in that part of N-e-w Zealand.