THE ACTING-PREMIER IN THE SOUTH.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 69, 22 March 1907, Page 2

THE ACTING-PREMIER IN THE SOUTH.

j IBT TKLBGRArH. — FKES3 ASSOCIATION.} CHEVIOT, 2ls«, Maich. The Hon. W. Hall-Jones to-day opened the Tormore-Domett section of the Waipara-Blenheim railway. This brings Hie line to within three miles of the centre of the Cheviot settlement, and there are now seventeen miles of railway on the estate. In the course of a speech after the function the Minister defended the endowment clauses of the Land Bill against the recent ciiticisms of Mr A W. Rutherford, M.H.R. He contended that the great and growing expenditure on education made it necessary to look for some eource of revenue other than taxation. If the proposed endowments were of small value, as was alleged, they were not worth quarrelling about, but it was the duty of the Government to make provision, as far as possible, for the needs of education, old-age pensions, and charitable aid. In regard to public »vorks, he laid it down as a safe policy to borrow a million a year. That would mean reducipg the number of works to be carried on, but in the end the settlers would get their railways and other works all the sooner. Mr. Gray, M.H.R. , also spoke, advocating proceeding with main lines ' of railway, rather than small branches. The Acting-Premier was entertained at a social gnthering in the M'Kenzio lown Hall in the evening.