MINISTER OF LANDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 285, 2 December 1925, Page 13

MINISTER OF LANDS.

HIS VISIT TO AUCKLAND. MANY MATTERS ATTENDED TO. TOUR ROU-TD THE DISTRICT. It would lie quite easy for the Minister of hands to spend a week at least in and about Auckland City alone. It is so long since a Minister of Lands lias been in these part- that affairs of State are taking up every available minute of his time. Many matters which should have been fixed up months, and in some cases years ago are receiving his pergonal attention, li is a full day's work to travel with the Minister's party and the various officers of ltis department. Three of the busiest men in the Government employ connected with the Lands Department in thi- city during the week the Minister has been travelling in the .Korth nnd in and about the city proper have been Mr. H. T. Lowe, the Commissioner of Crown Lands for Xorth Auckland; Mr. A. G. Mulligan, the Minister's private secretary, and—the driver of the ministerial car. Not a moment is lost, and although a big man, weighing close on IS stone in weight, Mr. McLeod moves quickly. There is so much for him ,to do that it is essential he should "get .'a move on." as he described it. What with tours of inspection, meeting deputations both of a private and public nature, and giving his personal attention to this and that, there is practically no time for anything else. ' One well-known member of a deputa- : tion which waited on Mr. McLeod at : Devonport yesterday said to a "Star" I reporter, "You would think it was'near : election time again to see the way* that I man flies about, and he doesn't waste much time either."

"Another member of the deputation was overheard to remark. "Waste -time? No he doesn't. And if it was election year ;vou can bet your hat he would stay "a hit longer when he is on the job this side of the water.''. '" In order to give some idea of what a Minister's day in Auckland is, take Yesterday, for instance. The ministerial party, after having attended at the Minister's room in the G.P.0.. entered the car at 9.20 a.m. and drove to the vehicular ferry wharf. On arrival at Devonport they were met by the Mayor, engineer, town clerk arid councillors of the borough. The itinerary was exnlairfed and a start was made- for tbe diflierent reserves about which they wished to discuss certain matters with the Minister. Then tho uarty climbed Mt. Victoria, after which all went back to the hotel to insnect plans and drawings, and to rhave a cup.'of tea. > ; It was at this stage and when on the of Mt. Victoria", that the. Minister ;~nnd members of his party expressed a their pleasure and admiration for the masnificent views to be had of Auck-, .and and its glorious harbour and gulf. '; A few minutes later the cars whisked .hem away from Devonport out to Taka- ' ptma, where the Mayor, councillors and officers there took charge of the party. Then on to" Smith's Bush, a most picturesque spot, which the Takapunaites want to be declared a scenic reserve. From there tbe party went to Milford. Here a ston of not more than a quarter of an hour was made "to get a bite to eat-" „ _, , Leavinjr the good folk of .Takapuna behind, the car almost broke the speed limit to catch the vehicular ferry back to the city. A call at tbe Ministerial rooms in 'the post ollice brought forth a sheaf of telegrams by the private secretary. These" were f opened a.n_ attended to whilst the. Ministerial, car was proceeding up Queen Street to the Jewish section of the Symonds Street cemetery and then out to Newmarket, where again the member for the district and the "representatives of the burgesses were assembled to. discuss domain matters with tbe Minister and his officers "on the spot." There were no speeches and talk was at a premium. "All right," said the Minister finally as he stepped into the waiting car, "I'll consider it. But we have a lot to get through yet, so goodbye," and off the car went racing through Newmarket and out along the Great South Road to Penrose. Once ajfain plans and official documents were spread out and held r , by willing hands whilst matters of public and private interest were discussed at - the glass Works. " f "Great Scot! Look at the time, and We have several deputations to see us yet," said Mr. McLeod as he looked at his watch and saw it was getting on for 5 p.m. "I could spend another week here easily and then not be finished," he added with a wink at the two pressmen who were with him.

"You know," he remarked to the "Star" representative, "quite a lot of time is taken up with people who want to see mc or want mc to see something which my departmental officers could very well attend to without reference to mc at all. A letter of explanation., or a call at the Lauds Office would soon put things right. It is such a waste of time getting mc to look ,into some of the things. Take on our -Northern trip, for instance. You saw how time \\~js wasted on occasions on such petty tilings. At one place, you will remember, we were discussing things for nearly four hours and every one of them could have been handled and attended to by my departmental officers."

Back to the city the high-powered car sped with its load of eight people, and then to the Ministerial rooms again. Here half a dozen private deputations were waiting to see the Minister before dinner. And there were more booked by his private secretary for the evening. These latter came from further afield, such as Papakura, Otahuhu, Huapai, etc. It was close on 11 p.m. when the day's work was done. And a similar round is happening to-day, but further afield. To-night the Main Trunk express will be caught for Wellington, where a day or so will be spent before the Ministerial party will speed away down to the other end of the Dominion at Invercargill. So it goes on.' Work piles up in departmental offices whilst the "chiefs" are out with the Minister, and the ]>rivate secretary and his staff are working at high pressure all the while to en deavour to overtake other work of a similar nature. It might be thought there is rest in the train to Wellington. Such is not the case, however, and typewriters are clicking just as busily as they do in the Minister's rooms when te is in Auckland.