PREMIER IN THE NORTH.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 78, 1 April 1922, Page 11

PREMIER IN THE NORTH.

AN INTERESTING TOUR. INCIDENTS BY THE WAY« (By Telegraph. — Own Reporter.) WHANGAREI, Friday. The Prime Minister is a worker. Even his most 'bitter political opponent or carping critic will acknowledge that fact. And Mr. Massey on tour 13 as busy and quite as thorough as in his office in tht .Parliamentary Buildings in Wellington. His gospel is work. It was the same on his tour of the north of Auckland as his recent visit to the East Coast, although the latter was supposed to be somewhat in the nature of a respite after the most strenuous session in his twenty-eight years of Parliamentary experience. It proved to be an experience that Mr. Massey will not »oon erase Irom his mind. Accompanied by two secretaries, the first day of his visit to the ''wiuterless" or "roadless ,, north, whichever one likes to call it, as either will meet with the approval of the local inhabitants, was, indeed, a busy one. Leaving the Manaia at the port of Whangarei at ti.:>o a.m. after a fairly smooth passage, the duties of the Prime Minister were not finished with until in the vicinity of 11 that same evening. THE NORTHERN RAILWAYS. A perpetual grievance in the north la their railways. One speaker, a member of Parliament too, informed Mr. Massey on Monday, that c|uite recently the train covered the distance between two stations, some four miles, in one hour and forty minutes. Surely a record for the Dominion? But the Vrime Minister's train vvus on time, and the settlers en route did not fail to impress that fact upon him. It was the iirst time on record, but Mr. Massey had a small taste of the unpunctuality of the service in the evening, when his train to Opua was "only half an hour late." That was considered to be extraordinarily fortunate, and the settlers seemed almost as pleased at this as with the punctuality of the Ministerial train in

A QUAINT REQUEST. Deputations were received along the line, which Mr. Massey gave an attentive hearing, and promised to bring th« matters under the notice of the respective heads of departments on his return to the capital. Towai wanted the railway crossing removed. Maramaku required additional grounds for recreation purposes at the school. The Bay of Islands Harbour Board wanted a wharf. All these matters the Treinier gave a sympathetic hearing. But thp north has a mania for deputations. They were quite determined to make the most of the "rare white crane of a single flight," after his absence of eight long years. One request made even the sphinx-like countenance of the Prime Minister relax. One sleepy little hollow wanted a railway line through the town deviated owing to the congestion of traffic in its principal thoroughfare. To imagine a street in the north to be in a congested state with traffic: Certainly not in Kawakawa. It is understood that this request, with a similar reason for its appei-.rance. is solemnly-paraded before each member of Cabinet who happens to pay the district a viMt. The inhabitants would bo well advised to put it in a different form if the request is to meet with success. FKEEZIXG WORKS INSPECTED. In the afternoon Mr. Massey inspected the new freezing works recently completed at Moerewa by the Auckland Farmers' 'Freezing Co., Ltd., the directors of which entertained the party at luncheon. Mr. Massey thoroughly inspected I

the works, which arc said to be the finest in the Dominion, and as the New Zealand works lead the world, according to what ojie speaker told the Premier, then they are the finest and mo.it up-to-date yet erected in the world. They cover a wide area on Scoria Flat, and the outlet for the works is at Opua, some milesi distant, where there is one of the finest harbours in the Dominion. A Home liner recently completed loading 30,000 carcases at this port in what is believed to be a time recor-.i for the whole of the Dominion. The shipping company had expected to be at Opua for four days more than what actually proved the case. This was due, said Mr. Vernon Reed, M.P.. to the fact that "fioslow" as known at other ports wjus tinknown to the workers of Opua. The majority of the work was done by Maoris, and done most efficiently too. The works are well equipped with storajre capacity, and, ac the Premier j pointed out when replying to his wel- ! come, they will be an important factor in the future development of the North, ( Mr. Masscy became quite eloquent in his praise. There had been outstanding improvements and changes since his last visit, very evident all along the line, and he quite candidly told the settlers that when last through the country lie did not think much of it. The fertility of the North, he proceeded, had only been scratched, and he expected great things of that part of the Dominion when the present financial depression had passed away, lie was again most I optimistic, and said he believed theru had been a great improvement in financial and commercial circles both here and in the Old Country.

ENTERTAINED BY SETTLERS. Mr. Maesey motored to Kawakawa, where he received deputation-, and was .ater entertained by tiie settlers at a dinner, which was a very successful gathering. Although Mr. Alao.-ey had had a hard day, with no re»t at all, he deigkted the gathering with little anecdotes full of interest regarding his political youth, and iatteriy hid trips to the ' lid Country. Mr. Massey caused not a iittle amusement in relating his experiences. He wae thoroughly at home iimong his audience, and when he resumed his eeal, they begged him to continue. ''But I'm afraid 1 cannot do so. 1 have a train to catch." he replied. There- was a shout of iatighter at this, and the Prime Minister was again twitted regarding the Northern timetable. It io only fair to state, as one speaker informed Mr. Massey, that it is not tlie fault of the railway men. They wor ed hard enough, but the traffic is so big, particularly in connection with the trucking of logs and timber generally, that it is beyond their control. JOURNEY BY LAUNCH. Xhe journey was resumed by train, and "only half an hoJr late' - the party arrived at Opua at a.out 9.30 p.m., where launch was taken for Paihia, the seaside residence of Mr. Vernon Reed, VI.P., whose guest the Prime Minister was for two nights. He was accompanied by Messrs. Glenn and Williams, M.P.'s, and Mr. Frank Thompson and Miss Piper (secretaries). Miss Massey, who accompanied her father from Auckland, went direct to Paihia.