THE PREMIER'S TRIP

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 230, 22 June 1908, Page 7

THE PREMIER'S TRIP

SIGNS OF PROSPERITY,

THE MAIN TRUNK LINE. | NATIVE LAND MATTERS. "I found right along the route of the Main Trunk Railway," said Sir Joseph Ward last evening, " and in parts of the country off the line, but immediately in touch with it, that there is Tory great activity amongst the settlers. This applies both to those who ■ have recently gone upon the land as well 38 to those who' have been settled some time. It is tho outcome of the anticipation of the early opening of tho railway, and tho utilisation of tho line for tho transportation of products."

There, was a.spirit abroad, said the Prime Minister, bordering 'upon enthusiasm, for the people held bright hopes for tho future;.and thore was also a particularly large increase in population' in some of the territories,' which was a happy augury. " The roading was exceptionally bad in . parts—tho roads that gave access to tho railway—ind' somp that had been in existence for some time were, as the result of recent .heavy traffic, in a state almost indescribable.. • To such an extent was this so that the Prime Minister was very much impressed with the. necessity for something being done for the people in these parts, and ho thought the proposal already announced, to spend £1,000,000 in fire years entirely on the' upkeep of this class of roads, ought to help to transform them into thoroughfares of great utility. NATIVE LANDS. The Native land question, said the' Prime Minister, .was one / pf great consequence to the settlors. There were enormous'areas in tho North Island' which were really unavailable at present. "King" Mahuta and Mr. Kaihau, M.P., who had met the Prime Minister at"Te Kuiti, had beon doing great and good work for their respective tribes. At hrst they, had- taken oxception to tho Royal Commission dealing with territories' that im> ■ mediately affoctea their people, but Sn Joseph Ward gathered from them that it hac been agreed that largo excesses of land nol required by tho tribes would be set asid« for settlement purposes. Their work was really preparatory to that of* the Royal Com-' mission, who were to visit shortly" the part of the country where their lands wer«situated *nd deal with them as directed in last year's legislation. The work of Messrs. Mahuta and Kaihsu would materially help them. Oho and .three-quarter million acres ;of : ' land, added Sir Joseph Ward, would be ■available for European occupation before long. In reply to a question, he said that there had been some technical difficulty regarding; tho matter of titles, and a little flexibility Was required- in the Act to enable ;the work of the "Commission l to be put to full use.

,THE MAIN TRUNK. ' "There is a gap of only ten miles unspanned now," said Sir Joseph Ward, referring to the Main Trunk line. It was fully expected that the temporary arrangements would be quite. ready for the Government members and their wivra cm ; tho occasion." of tho American fleet's visit. "Tho Publio Works Department," added the Prime Minister, emphatically, "has done very fine work on this railway* and the officers are deserving of - every credit, bccause, apart from everything else,.the work is solid and thorough." Tho usual , culverting had been replaced by tho most substantial work in stone, and tho viaducts and bridges wore all constructed to carry seven times tho weight of the heaviest enginosthat would pass over thorn. Theso engines, by the way ? were ninety tons weight —twenty tons' heavier' than.Any now on the New Zealand railways. . The work over the whole :railway was very fine. Seventy pound rails were used throughout, and these were the heaviest quality. ■ "I : am' quite satisfied," continued Sir Joseph, "that there will be very heavy traffic over the lino—calculating even from the ordinary experience one has over the other parts of the Dominion." He again referred to the anticipated progress and settlement of the intermediate district, which followed rapidly upon the sawmilling industry, and said« activity in theso directions would be noticeable, from the very start. ' *'"> ■ .

REPRESENTATipfi. ! The Prime Minister was asked if this rapid settlement along; the^lino which ha 1 predicted would not bear more or less upon the question of parliamentary representation. Ho replied that there must bo a: large in—' creaso of population in tho North Island. It had to be remembered that many of tho men who had been working on tho line would, at its completion, bo removed to other parts of the Dominion—though a large proportion would remain there. Replying further in a general seuso, ho said that the clearance of the bush over tho Island, and other considerations, must increase the population.'

V THE DOMINION GENERALLY.

Speaking of all his recess trips in various parts of tho Dominion, the Prime Minister said ho had found a V very good feeling and spirit prevailing.. ,-."l{ am pretty confident'," he said, "that the people 'in" the country generally are not in the dumps." If there hod been a little tightness in tho money market tho great bulk of. the people ho had spoken with did not fear it, and wore it good heart. He Veforred 'to the way irwhich products were keeping up generally, and instanced Taranaki as a caso 111 point where a phenomenalseason was being ex periencod. '"On tho whole," , ho> concluded "I think things are very'healthy throughout Now Zealand." ;■ :