MINISTER FOR LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 339, 28 October 1908, Page 7

MINISTER FOR LANDS.

TOUR IN THE SOUTH. FARMING PROSPECTS IN NORTH ISLAND. THE COM'ING ELECTIONS. * (BY TBLEGUAFU—PRSSS ASSOCIATION.) ■ '. - ». ' christchurch, October 27. The Hon. R. M'Nab, Minister for Lands, accompanied by Mr. L. Johnston, private secretary, arrived ■ from Wellington by the Maori this morning, and proceeded South by tho first express. The' Minister breaks his journey at Waifaki for tho purpose of inspecting the Steward settlement, and joins the second express for Dunedin. To-morrow •he leaves by the first express for Invercargill, addressing his Mataura constituents at Brunswick and Rimu en route. Mr. M'Nab is taking his staff with, him, and will continue his • Ministerial business at Invercargill. Journeying into his electorate by train and motor car, and visiting four centres each day,, he hopes to cover tho ground by Thursday. of next week, when he will return to Wellington. ' If possible, the Minister will bo in' Gore'(the headquarters of'his electorate) on the day of the election.

V; 1 ' 1 Dairy; Regulations. Speaking to a reporter on Departmental matters, Mr. M'Nab complained that Mr. Massey charged' the speaker 'with backing down on the new dairy regulations. iie stated it was never, contemplated to enforce theie inside of twelve montlis. Lasi February the speaker had explained that to a deputation- of Hutt dairymen. In the draft regulations, which came down to, the House, the.date of their coming into force was purposely left blank. , He denied- that their operation: had been postponed. There had been a tremendous amount of talk about the now regulations,' and. the necessity for a greater amount of cleanliness in the handling of; milk had been brought to the foreground in a truly remarkable, manner.. The speaker found, on inquiry among the produce graders, that dairy produce was now coming in a bet- . ter condition than ever before. This they attributed 'solely to the effect of a thorough spring cleaning." Public attention had been drawn be the importance of cleanliness and had borne splendid fruit. The Minister estimated that the financial benefit ;fo the country of tho dirty mail's. byre being kept clean 111 dairy producc 'alone would bo £50,000 pßr annum. On tho present output, there was also a reduction in the percentage of second grade produce. With the present skilled manufacture, the only reason for second grade produce was dirty milk. : There should be no second grade in the present marking. Even.along the. first, grade, produce, the 'pointing aiuld be made appreciably highei if clean milk were supplied to tho factories. \ A Wonderful Season. "The North Island is going to Kavo a wonderful season,"' the Minister continued. "There' are several factors contributing to the tremendous prospects. The most important,'of -course, 'is the price. Apart from that, last year's bush fires havo had a splen-, did effect. The land over which tho fires passed' was, covered with logs and stumps, these were cleared away to the last vestige, and a fresh ash seedbed for the grass made available.' The action of the Government in practically forcing on the early sowing of seed by providing it for the settlers on easy terms'has to a large extent renewed the whole face of the country, and there is now a'magnificent flush of grass. The dairy farmers are, therefore, facing the season under 1 the most favourable conditions. The price will be higher. There is an honest intention on the eveiyone to clean_things up more effectually than ever beforehand everything'points to a most successful year." / • • Tha Elections. " Coming to the subject, nearest the politician's heart, the' Minister said he thought a Government majority' in the North Island was assuredj' but'it would'not 0 be 1 bo Substantial; as the South Island would- provide. He did'not think that from New Plymouth to Hawke's Bay there would.be much change in ;the .position iof parties."'"The new constituency in Taranaki had four candidates; two on each side, and it was very hard to say who would win. With that exception there should bo no change in the area he had referred' to. So far as Auckland was concerned, he could, only go on hearsay, but. a desperate efiort was being, made to unseat the Hon. G. Fowlds for Grey Lynn. The speaker had no opposition'for Mataura, nor had the Prime, Minister for Awania, while the opposition to 'the Hon., J. A. Millar could only be called such by courtesy. "There will be a tremendous change in the personnel of the new House," Mr. M'Nab added. "Ten members are retiring voluntarily, and as two sitting members are contesting Tuapoka one must go out. Of the other sixty-nine members' eight or nine practically have' no opposition. Four are unopposed in South Otago alone! That leaves sixty men fighting contested elections. If we add the usual proportion of defeats to tho eleven certain newcomers we shall probably have twenty-two new members, more than one quarter of the' entire House. Changes are most likely to occur where two strong Ministerialists are standing for the same seat. 1 " Other Matters.

Speaking to a reporter this morning, .the Hon. R. M'Nab stated'that the Agricultural Department would exhibit stock at the forthcoming Canterbury A.; and P. jshow,' but would-', be unable to make a general display beyond that.' It had beert found necessary to Umit the .big Departmental displays to the winter shows'on account of the time and labour involved in .their preparations. An attraction at the forthcoming Metropolitan and P. show is to be afforded by : the Agricultural Department in tho .shape of demonstrations by Mr. Isaac Hopkins and his assistants in the transferring of bees from common boxhives into the frame-hives of cheap construction recommended by. the Department. These particular hives aro made from kerosene cases at a trifling cost.