MINISTER FOR LANDS INTERVIEWED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 160, 31 March 1908, Page 6

MINISTER FOR LANDS INTERVIEWED.

SOUTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY. EXPERIMENTAL /FARMS. AND LANT ' SETTLEMENT. (BY TELEGRAM—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Christchuroh, March 30. Interviewed at GhristbliurcL before'his departure for Wellington, the Hon. R. M'Nab, was asked'whether the Government intended to incline a favourable ear to the: agitation . , for the completion of the South Island Main... Trunk Railway. , ~- :* . " The matter, is not in my Department," >, ho replied. " However, 1 1.think it is v under-,. stood ' that; the through., line to. Pictou i 3 . : one of the works :,tiie: Government- will ultimately .carry. ..out,'.and .it is a subject for . consideration, .when the line from Wellington to' : Auckland .is through; whether., the ■ '„time' ; . • has arrived, for its more rapid construction. No now works aro being embarked on uutil the ,big: railway is through, and then, of . course,Hho .wkolo position i will havo to ba reviewed." . ~ j Does the. Government intend to establish comprehensive experimental farms, at Cul-, verdon? the reporter asked; r:. ''' The Minister gave a very decided answer in the, negative. "It was suggested, but I : don't think seriously," ho said, "and it is not going to be done. We must have it: in : a place whore there will be more con- .• veniences for the great bulk of interested people to visit'it." " Could you indicate a likely'locality?" ' was the' nest question. ' : V - ': ' "Wo don't want to push up; the price of land in the likely locality," was the noncommittal reply. ", "But you are going to have an experi- . mental forth in. Canterbury? 1 ' the reporter insisted. ■ "• ; "We liavo not come to a decision jet," said. Mr. 'M'Nab;' "My own idea is that ■ to have vthe scheme complete we require one for Canterbury and one for Otago. The fruit-growers/are',-: very.:, anxiousthat we.,, should have something experimental in their line,V and . that should be a portion of an experimental, farm. ..-An 1 error .of judgment Jias been . made in Auckland in scattering small stations in' different;, parts of the country." ' \ • "J., Asked when the: Culverden : Estate; would be open for selection, Mr. M'Nab said .that .■ the Lands and Survey Departments''work in connection witli the estate was. all complete, and it was hoped' that the printing of the^ maps \youid be put in hand in time to enable ; applications for the ballot to be in within a months The Department was adhering',to its original intention to have tho , estate 7cut up. iiito twenty-eight- holdings. '.On'the question of further land acquisition • by .the .States' Mr.-M'Nab; stated that: therey were : a good number of estates under offer. .: . The, Government was being urged by settlers to ' bicquiro'','otherßi 'while the ..Department. .'was. , ."casting'.slieep's eyes'.' at several.'- When,, , the reports-came in from the officers of the .Land Purchase.Board the Government would be able, to come to a decision. . Reports were , beingsecured', in, regard' to' several-■ estate? in Canterbury. v.'i/-G.'>\v-..-i

i . THE WAERENCA STATION. ' MINISTER'S REPLY TO CRITICISM.. ■ : The Minister for Agriculture, when, passing' , .through . Christchurch ,on Saturday evening, • made some 1 remark's in'regard'-to Mr.-It." j Nairn's, criticisms of the Government experi- • mental station at Wairenga,-. in the Auckland, district. ;' Mr..'Nairn;';who is a ;■ of Christchurch, spoke in rather severe terms v of; the Government's efforts to a reporter/; of; The , Dominion in .Wellington. .' Ho said that ; peach growing at ;,Waerenga i had been ;an absolute: failure;; that.'apple' culture .had not,- 1 been., successful; Tiha't. the. usefulness of .'the, station in regard to the experimental growing, Of. general fruits' would' extend no.further than: that:it-Avpuld;bo I,valuable: to'tlie land'! province ; that : ; tho'station- Was'iar too. largo,-arid so on. . .... .. •. , . "AYaorenga,'' the . Minister' said, . is, . amongst l ' -other'. -''-things,.', a: ' fruit ex-, .peiumental; -, 1 station.'," - faome- peoplethink: , that *in -: carrying".? out; .oxpenmentsii- therei should be no such -thing'- as; failure. This view is hold by .people who havo' ; never done any- experirriontal"work-themselves, but I ..have ■ followed the good old plan of strict"allegiance to' the methods' adopted by their ancestors.. Prom the samples of Waereiiga ifruits sent, to me I should say; that many: of them, will be a notable success. •' AVhethor ~they,' can , be -grown- with success from a .commercial point of view : is . a part of ; tho experiment that ■ timo aloii'o will' show;.;. • I. accept ' Jfr. Nairn's criticism. r Wo; get that: class of. criticism every;- day on ..everything, the Government is doing. Wo. have becoinc soaccuß- . tomed to it. that; wo would„be very_ itiucn surprised if' it ccasod. .AVe-Youkl-tniiikthat things not' going right;:?'■>' b■. ■ ■■'; v '' Speaking of expcrimental stations generally, I belioyo.that a groat'orange has. come .about in tho North Island-durinp; the . past , eighteen months' or.' two years. We had to ~' bear 'the brunt'of much political criticism until Mr.- J. G. Wilson ; rose; protested against it.. Now-wo'aro'- worried by fruit . growers in: all parts of the Dominion. We have requests for stations from Canterbury, from - Motueika, and from. Otago. ; The man. 1 who jnakes a living by it. and the man • wants;'the cultivation :of fruit. tq ( be. a.'tmnfe that •he can learn, without becoming a; pior fessional- fruiterer or:, florist .aro in different : positions. .j- the r professional man--;, feels . that ho has somo.'grounds for. objection."