MINISTERS ON TOUR.

Evening Star, Issue 12926, 14 April 1908, Page 4

MINISTERS ON TOUR.

[From Or/u Own Reporter.] LAWRENCE. April 14. The road to Tuapeka. Mouth, over which tho Minister of Lands passed yesterday, runs through well-grassed, pastoral eountry. Hitherto tho land has been held in large runs, but these have, been and are being broken up in every direction. Barnego. the first estate outside of Balclutha. contains some 7.000 acres. It has been broken up and settled by the Government, and has now some dozen families on it. The next estate is Greenfield, a block of 23,000 acres. This has been cut up by the Government, and is now settled by forty-nil,e families. Blackburn Estate, owned by Mr Begg, has been partly cut up by the owner, and the portion now subdivided is occupied bv families. Clydevale, a block of 32,000 acres, has been cut up by a private syndicate. It lies on the opposite side of the C'iutha River. The Tuapeka people appear to bo disappointed that this estate, which many of them allege to be one of the best in Otago, was not acquire'' by the Government. Sloping, as it u.ns". to the river bank, with a sunny exposure, as viewed from the. opposite bank, it looks a fine property. Tuapeka. Mouth is a small, picturesque township at the junction of the Tuapeka River -\yith the Glut ha. The population is steadily growing, and although no boom is on comfort, and prosperity seem evenly distributed, and the settlers boast- that there is not an un-niployed man in the district. It was stated that railway communication would open up a quarter of a million acres of pastoral ami agricultural land, 'five appearance of i : ■ country seen, and the condition of the stock on it. certainly scemed to warrant the representations made in favor of the railway. TO-DAY'S PROCK ICDEN'GS. LAWRENCE, April 14. The Minister of Lands joined the Prime Minister at the Pcaumont at 11 a.m.. after driving from Tuapeka Mouth. Sir Joseph at tho Beaumont was received by the school children and residents. Mr Chalmers headed a deputation urging vigorous prosecution of the Lxwrence-Rox-burgh railway, and advocated that work on tho tunned should be proceeded with at both ends, and that the cuttings on the Roxburgh side should W commenced immediately so as to give local men a chance of work. Tho Prime Minister said that it was the desire of the Government to push on all railways as speedily as poa-iblo, but the trouble was there were nineteen authoririod railways, and the people interested would not consent to their particular lino standing in abeyance till others advanced, oon.'cquently all the lines had to share in the year's allocations. They wanted to build the. Orago raihyays in "due proportion to the total allocation. Two other on local matters waited on Milliliters their replies being favorable. Tl» deputations were introduced by Mr Jama? Ailen, who apologised for the absence of Mr Bertnct. The Ministers were greeted with cheers as they drove off, and these wero followed by choers for Mi- Allen. MILLER'S FLAT ,April 14. On reaching Rae's Junction to-day the Prime Minister and the Minister of Lands called on Mr Bonnet, M.P. for Tuapjeka. At Milter's Flat deputations waited on the Prinve Minister, urging that the Law-renoe-Roxburgh Railway be pushed ahead more vigorously, and that assistance bo rendered for prospecting and developing tho mining industry. A deputation waited on the Minister of Lands, asking that tho freehold of Ormaglado Station be acquired for close settlement. —'The Minister, in reply, said that if the 'Land Purchase Board' reported favorably the Government would no doubt acquire the property.