A LAND OF PROMISE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 208, 31 August 1917, Page 5

A LAND OF PROMISE.

NORTH AUCKLAND'S C2.A.11C3. DEVELOPMENT BOARD CONFERS. IMPORTANT REMITS CONSIDERED. The annual conference of the North Auckland Development Board opened this morning, at the Chamber o£ Commerce. Colonel Alien.Bell presided over an attendance of about twenty delegates, representing various counties. Chambers of Commerce, and town boards of the North. In his opening , address Colonel Bell eaid that they were all agreed that tiio work of the Board in drawing attention to the potentialities of North Auckland had been so far very successful. Starting with the Parliamentary tour, which had drawn a large number of visitors to thu North, and had resulted in a general advertisement throughout New Zealand, the Board had prosecuted a campaign which had been the means o£ gaining for the claims of the North an amount or consideration they had never received before. It was particularly gratifying to notice that the southern Press had also adopted a favourable atiturle. In pursuance of the publicity campaign lib had put a suggestion before the Prime Minister and Sir Joseph Ward that as soon as the war is over fifty members 01 the Houee of Commons, with representative 'business men and industrialists, lie invited to visit Xew Zealand. In this the co-operation of the Australian and South African Governments might be sought, and if the scheme were successful a tremendous amount would have been accomplished. The cost of such a visit would not be very gTeat, as shipping companies would prolxi'bly grant considerable concessions, and the entertainment of the party, once in New Zealand, would present no difficulty. ALIENS IN 'OUR MIDST. The question of enemy aliens was brought up by the following remits from the Hokianga County Council: (a) "That both British and Maori men are now

conscripted aiid that aliens are exempt J (b) That the time has now arrived that ! all enemy aliens should be conscripted ! either for service at the front or behind the front or for service on public works ■at war rates of pay. (c> That no furjther purchases of properties by enemy aliens be permitted, and that any applications for transfer lie refused until ' after the war." [ ilr. R. S. Coclirajie (Hokianga). said jtliat while they were developing and . booming the North it should not be -forgotten that enemy aliens were flocking to the district in great numbers. They were acquiring the best sections of land along the proposed railway route. In j Hokianga enemy aliens were freely dealI ing with land, which they obtained from J Maoris, with whom they were friends, and in some cases inter-married. This was not doing justice to our soldiers. Several other speakers spoke in favour of the remit, which was carried. A remit from the Kaitaia Chamber of Commerce, making the same suggestions las those in the YVhangaroa remit, excepti'ing"the matter of pay. was withdrawn. An amendment, suggested by Mr. Darga--1 ville, that enemy aliens be conscripted for service in the Serbian army was lost. OTHER REMITS. From Hokianga and Mangonui County Councils: "That the Government be requested at the termination of the q-ar to pay into all local bodies annually the ; total amount of rates on native lauds in each county, and make all .such payments a lien on such lands on the same principle as the present survey liens, and in the meantime this Board suggests that the law be amended so that in case of native land having no title in the offices of i the District Land Registrar or Registrar of Deeds the lien for unpaid rates should be registered against the title in the Xative Land Court." This remit, which was submitted by Messrs. R. Cochrane (Hokianga) and-.F. S. Houston (Mangonui), was carried.

From Mangonui County Council: "That the Government be requested to bring into operation the proposed Counties Classification Act Scheme a.b.c.d. with a. maximum of £1 for £1 subsidy on thu whole of the rates collected within a county." Mr. Houston, who spoke to the remit, said that the suggestion was- made with . the object of providing a fund that would ■• adequately meet the cost of permanent road works. The suggestion was adopted.v Other remits were passed as follows:. — From Hokianga: "That the neighbouring counties be requested to co-opera le with the Hokianga county in making representation to the Minister of Internal Affairs with a view to having a Royal Commission set up to deal with the matter of alteration of Xorth Auckland, county boundaries after the war." From Whangaroa Chamber of Commerce: "That the Government be asked to inquire into the possibility of linking up the Main Trunk line (northward of Kaikohe) with a deep water port capable, of accommodating Home liners. ,. From Waitemata County Council: "That the Government be urged to make provision for the construction of a branch ! railway from some station between -the i Kaipara and Kaukapakapa to some . I point between Devonport and Birkenhead." In sending the last remit the Waitemata County Council pointed out that the Government had already made the survey of the proposed -route, which will , shorten the distance to Auckland by 20 L miles, on almost flat country, with the ! , exception of one hill, which the engineers • j have successfully coped with in their 'I calculations. From Ilobson County Council: "That 1 Xorth Auckland be given adequate representation in the Legislative Council." '"That Mr. J. Trounson's kauri park, at Kaihu, be bought by the Government as a scenic reserve." ''That the Kaihu section of railway be connected with the Main Xorth Auckland Trunk line, and that the Government be ' requested to make a trial survey of line of route." "That the Government be requested tc introduce legislation whereby all loan.- , , raised by counties for the purposes of forming and metalling roads be automatically entitled to a £ for £ subsidy from the Government." From the Executive Xorth Auckland • Development Board: ''That an independent Board of Advice be set up by the ! Government to classify all public works according to their importance and to decide the question of priority of construction." "That the Government be requested to take over all the main arterial roadways throughout the Dominion, and in the meantime take steps to have the main arterial roads determined." '•That the Land Purchase Board lie 'requested to immediately secure suitable land in the Xorth Auckland peninsula for the settlement of returned soldiers."