"GIVE US ALL LEASEHOLDS." THE FIRST REQUEST OF THE KIND.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 26, 31 January 1908, Page 2

"GIVE US ALL LEASEHOLDS." THE FIRST REQUEST OF THE KIND.

"At Ohakune," added the Minister, "and this will b& of special interest to The Evening Post, the chairman (Mr. Gould) claimed the credit on behalf of Ohakune of being the operating cause of that section of tho Land Act which allows tho Minister to lease land under the thirty-three years' renewable lease in place of selling it. The lands at Ohakuno and other bush lands had been speculated in to some considerable extent, and the only security local residents had that speculation would not take place would bo if the Minister would promise to use his power, and dispose of the whole block of land which still remained Crown land at Ohakuno under tho leasehold, and not under the freehold. - Other subjects dealt with were connected with the roading of this samo block, and theMinister, in reply, stated that he had in his mind when submitting the clause that the Crown should act as a private individual would. 'j?he private individual was compelled to road the ground before offering' it for snlo, nnd the Government would have the Ohakune sections roaded just as a private individual would road before submitting them for disposal, and the provision in the Act. which had been quoted would enable tho Crown to dispose of them by leasehold, and prevent the speculator coming among them, and provide ample funds for carrying out a complete system of roading. He did not say \Vhethcr, under th« Act, ho had power to lease tho whole block without submitting any lo the freehold The Ministers statement that the land would be leased, and beforo leasing would be properly loaded, evoked au unanimous bm'.<t of applause. This, tho Minister state?, is tho first occasion that ho had been asked by tho people living in a district to submit the whole of the sections under the Icashold system to allow bona lido residents in the town to obtain them, and prevent the speculator rushing in and securing corner sites of these towns along the North Island Main Trunk lino, whose future success is absolutely c&rtam. OTHER MATTERS Of the other matters raised some dealt with departments outside the Minister.'; ronlroJ. hut the Minister promised td vend up Mr Asian, rlu<>l chcmisi of the depai (merit, to make an aiidly&is of som.e of the soiie and mineralfc which.

tho local residents thought could be utilised in fertilising their land. A complaint was mado that tho Public Woiks Department charged an excessive froight on the railway while they arc tunning it. Mr. M'Nab exprc-spd no opinion as to whether the fieight charges wore cxiessive, and promised to bring the matter before the Mini&ter for Railways nnd Public Works. After the deputations, those present assembled, and drank the health of and success ' to tho Minister, and gavo him a hearty senJ off. The Public Works train was caught at Ohakune railway station at 3 o'clock, and arrived in time to catch tho ordinary train for Taihape, arriving here at 7 o'clock last evening THE MINISTER'S IMPRESSIONS. Replying to a question as to his impiession of the country after this his iirst \Lit to it, ths Hon. Mr. M'Nab said: — "1 was astonished at tho great traflic that is already in operation over a. railway line that is not completed, and I hope that when the through connection ia established the department will, be able to cope with the lull brunt of tho trafiic, which from appearances will assume very large proportions; in fact, this is 0, certainty. An immense quantity of timber will provide an opening tor many sawmills which are now only waiting through connection to send their timber south and north. Timber at the- present time hi>s necessarily to put up with disadvantages in the way of increased rates and other difficulties, so that wo may expect a- very mat-eiial increano when the Railway Department has taken the line over. All along tho line the traflic v ill pour in from the catrle countiy and the sheep farms, dairying and flax milling, ;md from the hundred and one little industries that are that characteristic^ of our country. It is a fine scenic route, added the Minister, having a scenery of its own in the magnificent views to be got of Ruapslni ; the change from mountain to open plain, and the wonderful spiral and horse shoe slopes in the railway. These remind me of tho St. Gothard route aexoss the Alps. At one place somo four mile 3 of railway aro required to compass about half a mile distance, and we Lave all tho characteristics of the Alps' v inding track and curved tunnels, and at one spot thiee lines of railway onp above the other. In many places the scenery is veiy, a cry beautiful ; in no place can it be defa'cribjcl as dull and uninteresting. It sweeps along the border of the Kuapchu and Tongjriro Natural Park where at the present moment botanical and physical surveys arc being made with the view of making the place more interesting and accessible, so that everything points to an enormous expansion of railway work within twelve months after the line is opened. Great quantities of the country which I have inspected in tho last two days caTry when grassed two sheep to the acre, and some of it three-- a figure which is exceeded in very few cases in the best country in New Zealand. "Speaking of my own Department," said the Minister, "I expect a substantial increase in the cheese and butter factories at very many places on the line. About Ilaetihi theie js. <v very large extent of perfectly ilat country."