VISIT OF DR THACKER.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 6969, 30 January 1918, Page 3

VISIT OF DR THACKER.

Possibilities of the Bay of Plenty.

Br H. T. .). Thaeker, M.P. for East Christchurcn, arrived here last night from Gigborne, via the Motu, Opotiki and Whakatane. He is accompanied by Mrs Tfaaeker. As every New Zealander knows Dr Ihacker juat now is in the forefront in political matters. He addressed a meeting in tha Muni cipal Theatre, Napier, oa the 22nd inst, principally en Defence matters, the treatment of sick and wounded soldiers, and the repatriation of soldiers ard nurses. l)r Thaeker contends that the i:urse,3 should receive the same treatment as our soldiers. He eavs he ia absolutely determined that tha soldiers will bays permanent resiiential clubs in ell the Urge cities and towns as memorials to the juen who have gone "West" and as postal and fixed sddresses for the soldiera in the vicinity, no matter what grade or rarK the soldier may have, Several very drastic resolutions v;ere proposed ard passed unanimously by the meeting at Napier. The gist nf tbe resolutions were critical of the Defence Department, and Dr Thacker found approval of them all the way from Napier to Tauranga. Dr Thaeker also addressed a ls'rge meeting in (Ji?bcrne on Saturday night esn iho same lines. Mr A. M. Poison", who has retired frum tbe Civil Service alter being a Ministerial Secretary for ten years under the Hon. R. McKenzie and the Hotj. Dr Pomare, is contesting the Wellington Kurth seat as an Independent Liberal and will be toe first candidiate in New Zealand to truly represent tho aoliders, their wives, their dependants, and their treatment by the medical a-.ui military officers. Dr Tt.acker io supporting Mr Poison's candidature and is going to Wellington to fight the contest from start to finish. A wire received yesterday by Dr Thaeker from Mr Poison says everything in the campaign is going well and the returned soldiers Bre reliving in great force to his flag. Dr Thaeker Bays he feela confident that Mr Poison will win the seat.

While in Napier aiid Gisborne Dr Thacker addressed meetings in regard to tbe utilisation of hydro-electric generation at Waikarenioatia. He was Chairman of the Christchurch Electric Light Conujcittes in 1910 that was responsibla for the Lake Coleridge hydro-electric scheme, which last year aaved the city of Chriotchurch .50,000 tons of coal, and is now driving the Christchurch tram system,' In hi« own private house he has an installation where he can burn eighty odd lighta and cook a full course dinner, heat by radiators, use iron kettles, egg-boilers and toasters independently and drive up-to-date Violet Ra.v machines. The cost for DeceinbeE hst for all of this was 153 4d, After having seen ekctricity draw the huge express train over 400 mile? over the Rocky Mountains in Montana last year, Dr Thacker ia quite certain that Lake Waiknremoann could haul the whole of the passenger and freight trains in t!;e Bay of Plenty round the East Coast to Gisborne, Napier, Hastings, Dannevirke and Wellington. Dr Thacker promised the Mayor of Napier at a conference cf local bodies held at Napier rfgardirg the Waikaremoana scheme that he would return to Mapier, Hustings and Gisborne, and with the aid of lantern slides, which he brought from America last year, addresa meetings on the subject, He will also visit Opotiki and WJjakatane by special leques*, and will also include Tautanga in his itinerary, if desired.

Dr. Thacker says " After my tour tlirough the Bay of Plenty, I hava arrivod at the conclusion that (here is juß< room in the Bay of Plenty for thousands of soldiers' homes. Speed up the railway from Waihi tj.Giaborne and Napier, get deep-sea ports at Wbakatane and Tauranga, go in intensely for maize-growingl and pig production, bee!-sugar growing, wheat agriculture, dairying, and cattle and sheep raising, aud you will be able to support thousands of additional families, and repeat again -with Captain Oook that this is truly the Bay of Plenty." Dr. Thaoker stated that he noticed a crop of wheat in the Paeugaroa district, which he estimates will thresh from sixty to seventy bushels to tli9 acre. It was in tstook and what struck him w.js tbe beautiful golden colour —ei|iial to the beat South Australian graiu. Ur Thacker is staying at the Tau^ rauga Hotel and leaves for Auckland by the Ngapuhi to-night. His Worship the Mayor (MrJC Adams) and Acting Town Clerk (Mr W li Gifford) waited on Dr. Thacker at the Tauranga Hotel this morning and accompanied the visitors to various places of interest in the town and district, Dr. Thacker expressed his intention of again visiting T«uranga in abAit, a month and will then deliver a lecture