A BUSY TIME.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 148, 19 December 1907, Page 3

A BUSY TIME.

THE PRIME MINISTER IN WAIRARAPA DISTRICT. DEPUTATIONS AND LUNCHEONS.The duties of a Prime Minister are admittedly not easy. Frequently they approach the arduous — a> fact ■which hns been further emphasised in Sir. Joseph Ward's case during the past two days. As already 1 olated, he left " Wellington at 7,50 on Tuesday morning, and before Teaching his bed close on midnight he had opened a new post-office at Taihape, received an important deputation, and made ono or two speeches at a- banquet given in his honour. Before &ix o^clock the next morning his special train was rattling along .towards Marton, en route ■ for the East Coast. He had to open a, bridge at Martinhorough in the afternoon, and be in Wellington at night. Breakfast was eaten at Palmerston at 8.50, and then as quickly n& possible the 'party proceeded through the Gorge to Woodvilie. Another hricf stop there, and racing , along as fast as was consistent with safety, the special reaclv-i Featherston just after 12.30. A howling northwesterly galo was blowing, but those responsible for the- arrangement-: had three motor-cars' in readiness, and only a few minutes had elapsed when the Prime Minister and his party wei© rattling along a dusty road towards Martinborough. Fortunately the wind was, generally speaking, fiom the rear, but the dust lay inches thick, and with a blazing sun over head tilings were pretty dry. In rpite of all. however, this paTt of the trip was decidedly pleasan'i, but in between the dust clouds one could sec that the country presented a parched appearance. A resident of the locality iniornied our representative later in the day that the . outlook is by no means promising, and that even if rain came now it would be too late' for some of the crops, while the holders of young stock will be compelled to dispose of them veTy shortly. Last winter was exceedingly wet, <md this summer is the dTyest known for many years. AT MARTINBOROUGH. Arrived at Martinborough, the Premier was cordially welcomed by the members of the Town Board and residents of the district, and presented with an address. He- congratulated the residents on the progress made by the district of late years, and added that such progress was very marked in all parts nf the Dominion. The result was an increase in revenue from all sources except the sales of land by the Crown. That progress, too, was tho result o£ tho industry of the people of the towns and the country. As to the railway revenue, be believed it would eventually reach ;t. total of three millions. He could remember the time, when lie was Minister of Railways, when the hope was expressed by some of the most practical men in the ■Railway Department that the time might some time airive when the revenue would reach two millions. Since then the Government had given concessions to the■usecs of <tho 'faiiiwiK.y.3 iamountyng to £800,000, and the revenue now amounted to about £2,300,000. That fact alone was an indication of Uie remarkable progress that was being made all over the counfcr;-. ■ (Applause.) PUBLIC EXPENDITURE. Shortly afterwards the Premier was entertained at a luncheon. His health was proposed, and advautugo was taken of the opportunity to urge on him tho necessity of constructing a railway from Featherston to Martinboiough. The request is not a new one ; it lyis been made before, and the Piemier did not appear at all surprised. He made, in reply, j,ome congiatulatory remarks about the evidences of prosperity that he saw on all hand.s, and remarked tkat he recognised that the people ,werp only on the fringe of what in years to come would be tho railway system of New Zealand. Some people said that ho was going f.oo far in regard to the .expenditure of money for public' purposes, and tint the twentyfour millions invested in our railways was a very large amount for such a country. To his mind it wa.s a very small amount. They had to compare that Gum with what had tike'n 'place, in other countries. When the population of Canada did not exceed ■ the population of New Zealand to-day,, one company invested more money' in a single railway than has been expended on all the railMays in New Zealand. In this countTy, too, wo i had gone in the direction of following up set( lenient, - and there was no instance in the cquntry .to'vliis knowledge where a railway that had been pushed on in anticipation of close eettlcnient 'had not been paid.' They had to recognise tliat- last year they had to borrow for public woTks, .and ' for- the | lenewal a*nd conversion of io'-uis, an amount of between five and six millions sterling. This je-ir the liguies would be about tljc same' It was a most impoit- ! ant fact that that had been safely .iqroniplishcd,- in view of what had been taking place in America. Nothing was 1 more important than to know that New Ze-afdiid was strong and sale financially, and New Zealand had a gieat deal'lo be thankful for in that lespect. On rail-v.-ays they were spending about £775,000 a year' out of bon'owed money,, and no new railways could be considered until the North Island Main Trunk ' railway v.ms finished. That would be before Christmas of next year. The sum of £330,000 was voted for ifc this year, and niter that from £150,000 to £160,000 would havo to bo expended. When that work was out of hand he would be pleased to consider tlic representations that had been made for 'a line to Mai tinborough. In answer to a remark bj Mr. Hornsby, M.P. for the district, Sir Joseph admitted that he had promised to have, a flying survey made of tho proposed *ioute as 60on as an officer was available. When that survey was made, remarked Mr. Hornsby, and an approximate estimate of the cost, made out, he did not. think it would be a very hard matter for the people of Martinborough to guaiantte the cost of making the line The Government could then go on with tho ; work at once (Applause, and a voice. : "Wp'll guarantee it throe times over.") A NEW BRIDGE. Luncheon over, tho Premier went and opened a ueAr bridge over tho nuaug.iruo. RiveT. It was christened by Mis. John Martin the Hikawrra Bridge, in honour of (lie native fribe which belongs to that locality, and which has always been on tho most excellent terms with the Europeans. Reference was made to the benotiL that tho bridge will bo to tho fpttlers in that part of the back-blocks. For years they have had at times to risk their lives in crossing the river on occasions of emergency, and lives have been lost in so doing. Now the bridge spans the sticiim, and contentment leigns. A bridge appears to the town dwellers a simple and ordinary alfair. Any ono who wub present ;it yesterday's ceremony would realise by a biief glance at the eiowd of people who were present that a load had been lifted fiom the minds j of that community, that a real ,md press- | ing source of danger had been removed, and that the back-blocks had been brought one step, nearer to the pale of civilisation. The bridge cost about £2000, of which tho Government gave half. It is expected to last forty years. v No ,wardor (.W —•cm d cavo fc^ree "lieeri.

for tho bridge. They knew what it meant to themselves. Also they gave three hearty cheers for the Premier, who dwelt bTiefiy on the prosperous condition of the Dominion and the policy of the Government in assisting those settlers who (as in this 'case) help themselves. Subsequently the Premier and the crowd wore hospitably entertained by the Maoris at the adjacent pah, and after an enjoyable run on a motor-car to Featheiston, he returned to Wellington, reaching hero just after 9 p.m.