VISIT OF THE HON. Mr. OLIVER TO THE DISTRICT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 1, 10 April 1880, Page 3

VISIT OF THE HON. Mr. OLIVER TO THE DISTRICT.

— H- — RAILWAY FBOM STRATFORD TO HAWERA. A deputation, consisting of Messrs. Barloyman, Hunter, T. Middlemas, D-vid-son, Thomson, and White, waited upon the 1 , Hon. the Minister for Public Works on Monday evening, for the purpose of urging tha necessity which existed for pushing on th - construction of the railway works aB speedily as possible between Stratford and Hawera. Mr. Barleyman' introduced the deputation, and stated that thoy had come to urge upon the Hon. the Minister for Publio Works the desirability of compl sting the railway bctwoen here and Dtratford as quickly as possible. The late rains showed that the main roads would be in a very bad state during the coming winter. It would be well that the metalling of the Mountain Road should be accomplished as, speedily as possible. Tho principal matter, however, ' that the deputation had to urge was the necessity which existed for the completion of the line between Hawera and-Strat-ford. Mr. Barleyman then referred to the unsatisfactory manner in which the lixub between. New Plymouth and Stratford was worked, and stated that he hod' represented the matter to Mr. Harris, the general manager,' and urged that greater facilities should be afforded to passengers travelling, between Wanganui and New Plymouth, as it depended, to a very great extent, on the state ot the road as to whether the passengers could get through. The coach drivers aid their best to meet the trains, and so anxious were they to do so, that they frequently refused to convey passengers, lest they should be late. On one occasion, when he (Mr. Barleyman) had travelled by the coach, he had to wait for the train at Stratford for nearly an hour after the time set down in the time-table. . He considered that if the trains were made to suit the convenience of .the department, they should also be made to suit, the convenience of the travelling publio. Ho had token some trouble to show that the trains were fro* quently late, in proof which he would hand in the following memorandum, togather With the memorial which the deputation had prepared on the subject of railway communication : — Memorandum for the Hon. the* Minister for Public Works showing , the, time of arrival' of morning trains for Stratford from New Plymbnth during the month of March, 1880.

To the Hon . the Minister for Public Worke. Memorial of the undersigned on behalf -• the fiettlers of the Hawera Biding" of |^^^ County of Pated, respectfully eheweth, settlers of the Hawera Biding, of th* Count y ot Patea, deeire to offer their congratulations to the Hon. Mr. Olive* on his

first official visit to tbo district as Minister of Public Works.

They > desire to bring under his notice the desirability of completing the railway between Stratford and Normauby, especially as this would render the connection of the line, with Kai Iwi much less difficult than at present for through traffic, and cut off the worst part of the road for travellers. That great benefits are to be gained by the immediate completion of the Wanga-nni-Waitotara Railway.

That the railway works very materially increase the amount of employment for laborers, who are at present suffering distress.

That it would materially improve the position of the settlers by connecting this productive country with a seaport, and thereby increase the facilities for exporting much larger quantities of produce. That it would add considerably to the landed revenue. -

That it would be a guarantee of safety to new settlers coming into the district. That during the coming winter the road from Stratford to Inglewood will be practically unavailable unless the Mountain Road be metalled from Stratford to Normanby, or the rail carried through to Hawera.

That the colony will sustain a great loss in the interest in the cost of construction ojf the Mountain Koad and railway from Stratford to Inglewood, and the interest in the value of the unsold land now in the market, until the railway iB completed to Hawera.

That the working of tho railway between Stratford and New Plymouth is unsatisfactory, inasmuch as sulficient consideration is not given to the passengers by coach in consequence of the difficulty with the roadß in wet weather.

That while passengers are delayed at Stratford for aa long a time as forty niinuttiß when the train from New Plymouth is late, the train is not allowed to be detained more than ten minutes for the arrival of tho coach fiv.m the South.

That the train ie frequently not punctual in arrival at Stratford in the morning, thereby delaying the coach in its passage down.

That it ia usual for the train between Kai Iwi and Wanganui to await the arrival of the coach, so as to insure passengers arriving in Wanganui on the day of the departure from New Plymouth. That it is desirable that the train for New Plymouth should remain at Stratford as late as 6 o'clock if necessary, in order that passengers may have the opportunity of getting through on the some day. That the application of the settlers to have a district for Registration of Births, Deaths, and Marriages established and the appointment of a Begistrar made, has not yet been granted, although the Hon. Mr. Hall, when here recently, promised the matter his best attention, and the Hou. Major Atkinson promised it would, with other things, be done. Your memorialists respectfully request the matters aforesaid may receive your favourable consideration, and that you will grant such relief in the matter aa may seem meet.

Mr. Barleyman said that he wished to bring one other matter under the notice of the Hon. Mr. Oliver. Some time ngo a memorial was presented to the Hon. the Premier, asking that Hawera might be proclaimed a District for the Registration of Births, Deaths, and Marriages. Although it did not come within the scope of tho Hon. Mr. Oliver's duties, still he (Mr. Barleyman) hoped that he would make a note of it. He also wished to mention that, after tea that evening, he had heard, for the first time, a rumor to the effect that there was some dissatisfaction with the site which had been selected for a station by Mr. Foy, the Government Engineer. He confessed that he was very much surprised at hearing that there was any difference of opinion on the subject. Mr. Thomson was quite certain that the public were thoroughly satisfied with the site which had been selected.

Mr. T. Middlemas said that the pro-perty-owners on both Bides of the. town wished the Btation to be near their properties. Wherever the station was placed, the town would undoubtedly grow towards it.

Mr. Hunter, as a property owner, did not wish the station to come near his property. Ho felt quite convinced that if a vote of the residents were tak n, at least ninety out of every hundred would approve of the site that Mr. Foy had selected. He wished to supplement Mr. Barleyman's remarks as to the necess'.tv that existed lor pushing on the construction of the railway between Stratford and Hawera. They were led to believ ■ by Major Atkinson that there were dimculci s m the way of bringing the line through the bush before midwinter set in. There was a general feeling that the Governor nt were not proceeding -with the railway aB quickly as thoy should have done. If the railway was made as far as Hawera, it would prove a vast benefit to the settlers. They would then be able to land their cattle within 18 hours of the Auckland trr rket. During, the winter months the Mountain Road would be very bad, as the soil received water like a sponge. ' Mr. < Middlemas pointed out that the high oad to the Plains ran into Hawera ; consequently, that would be the shortest route to the Waitara.

Mr. Daviclson. said that the most urgent tiling whicarthe District required was railway communication between Hawera and Stratford. Had they had a metalled road, the matter would be entirely different. With regard to the difference of opinion said to exist in reference to the site for the station, he had not, for his part, beard the question mooted until that night. Although he owned some property near the site which had been selected, he did not think 'the value of it would be improved by placing the station near it. Mr. Barleyman said that Major Atkinson had stated that Mr. Blackett had informed him that the railway could be completed by July. Mr. Oliver: Next July twelve months, I suppose he meant ? The deputation : No ; next July. Mr. Blackett had no recollection whatever of having made suoh a statement. Mr. Oliver: Can you tell me, Mr. Blackett, what time .it would take to complete the line between Hawera and Stratford? Mr. Blackett : About a year.

Mr. Oliver said that when deputations : usually waited upon him, it was not always a pleasant duty which he had to perform, as he was generally unable to comply with their requests. But so far as the coniplet on of the railway between Hawera . nd Stratford was concerned, he ' could assure the deputation that the Government were as anxious 10 finish the line as they were themselves, because they were of opinion that the line was an j important one for strategic and other reasons. The vote would not lapse until the 30th of June, and if it did, the item would be again placed on the next Estimates, and he had no doubt it would be approved of by the House. With regard to the fining of the trains, ho considered the i\ quest made by Mr. Barle/inan was a very reason ble one, and he saw no reason why the convenience o. the public should not be consulted as well as that of the Department, and if the request could he complied with, without involving any serious expense, or causing inconvenience, he would endeavor to remedy it. With reierence to the question of a site for a station, he had looked over the North and South ones, and the circumstances connected with both of them would be duly considered, and the> site to be selected woul J be determined upon public grounds alone. ■ -, Mr. Blackett said he did not think the deputation were really aware of the amount of work that was going on between Normanby and Stratford. They were steadily pushing on the Mangawhero contract, and another contract of five and a half or six miles would probably be ready for letting on the following week. That would connect between the Mang.-. whero and the work which had been done at Normanby. There would be no difficulty about running the line to Hawera, if they could only arrage between themselves as to where the site should he. Two or three of the deputation again expressed surprise as to there being any difference of opion upon the subject. Mr. JJlackett: Well, gentleman, all I can say is, that the number of letters sent to the department upon the subject amply test fy to the fact of such a difference of opinion existing, and th dispute has tended a good deal to retard the completion of the l.ne. The deputation having stated that they were quite content to leave the selection of a site entirely in the hands of the Government, Mr. Oliver said it was very satisfactory to learn that the inhabitants were prepared to do so, and he would again assure them that the site would he determined upon public grounds alone. Mr. ljarieyman suggested that a vote should be taken on the question. Mr. OLver: Whilst the Government are anxious to hear both sides of the question, they w,U only determine the site upon public grounds. Mr. Middlemas said that more than 90 per cent, of the traffic would have to come to the site at the other side of the town, as it was near the main road between Carlyle and New Plymouth, and also the main road to the Waimate Plains. The nearer the station was to the public road the more convenient would it be for the trafficMr. Oliver said that he and Mr. Blackett had walked from Owen's Hotel to the site selected by the Government Engineer in seven minutes, whilst it had taken them seventeen minutes to walk to the site at the other end. He did not, however, think it mattered a brass farthing as to where the station was located. The only important thing was to have the line completed between Hawera and Stratford as quickly as possible, and he could assure them that all possible speed would be used, consistent with a due regard to economy, which they would all admit was a ye y important matter just now, in the depressed state of the finances of the colony. The deputation having thanked the Hon. Mr. Oliver, then withdrew.

SURVEYS ON THE WHAKAMABA BLOCK. Mr. Hunter, Chairman of the Hawera Road Board, and Mr. Barleyman, next waited upon the Hon. the Minister for Public Works, to urge that the survey of the road deviations should b undertaken by the Government, and also that the necessary expense to be incurred in transferring the land required should be borne by the Government,

Mr. Hunter said that the block was surveyed about a dozen years ago, and a number of military settlers were located upon a portion of the hind. At the time, the roads were laid off without any practical grades, and the Road Board had applied to the Waste Lands Office to have the lines properly surveyed. He understood that the Chief Surveyor had been instructed to lay off the deviations on the deferred payment land at Whakamara, but nothing had been done with the portion that had been set apart for the military settlers. Mr. Hunter then read a resolution, which had been passed at the last meeting of the Hawera Eoad Board, and he stated that the deviations amounted, in a small block of 0000 acres, to nearly six miles. All these deviations, to make them legal, would involve a large amount of expense, and he considered it a great hardship that the Eoad Board should be asked to take them in hand.

Mr. Barleyman said the matter came before the Waste Lands Board at New Plymouth," and the Chief Surveyor had recommended a survey to be made. He considered that the Government were responsible for the mistakes which had been made, and it was important to the settlers upon the ' land that proper roads should be laid off.

Mr. Oliver promised that the matter would be inquired into, and the Government would put no obstacles in the way of the surveys being carried out. The deputation then withdrew.

THE NORMANBY RAILWAY SITE.

About 10 o'clock on Wednesday morning the Hon. Mr. Oliver drove out to Normanby, and on alighting from the conveyance was met by 30 to 40 of the principal residents of the place, a few gentlemen residing in Hawera being also

present. The hon. gentleman, accompanied by Mr. Blackett, Engineer in Charge of "the North Island, and the members of tbe two deputation 0 , at once proceeded to the site oiicred by Hone Pihama, which lays contigu^u > 1.0 the main road. After a careful survey of the railway plan, the party adjourned to McGregor's Hotel, where those in favor of "the different sites explained their views ut some length.

THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL SITES.

Fifteen gentlemen, favorable to either of these sites, entered the room. Mr. C. E. Gibson explained their views, and all the circumstances coifuected with the different sites, at considerable length. He said thut a., ti.e gentlem n f .vorable to the Southern Extension site appeared to think they wore not a properly constituted deputation, he wished to state that they had been appointed at a public meeting of the residents of Nonnauby. He would direct the attention of' the Hon. Mr. Oliver to the fuel that, in the first place, when the residents had applied for a Telegraph Station, the Government demanded an acre of land, which the people considered rather hard, but they offered to give a quarter of an acre. In reply to thut offer, the Government stated that the matter would be held over till such time as the Telegraph -SJalioru Post Office, and Railway Station could be erected together. The residents of the township were not particular as to whether the site opposite McGregor's Hotel, or tha one offered by Hone Pihama, was the one to be selected. They were quite willing to leave the matter to the Government to decide.

Mr. Oliver said he understood the land opposite McGregor's Hotel was in private hands, and the owners were apparently unwilling to do anything towards granting some ot it for the station.

Mr. Gibson then read a number of telegrams and letters which had passed between him and the Hon. Major Atkinson, Mr. Knowles, Under- Secretary for Public Works, and Dr. Lemon, Commissioner of Telegraphs, in reference to the site opposite the hotel, and the one offered by Hone Pihama. He also read a letter from Mr. Nathan to the Government, ottering six sections, fronting the hotel, for a site.

Mr. Dalton said that the sections fronting the hotel, ten in number, had since been purchased by him from Mr. Nathan.

Mr. Oliver wished to know what the cost of the sections would be.

Mr. Gibson said he valued them at about £80 each; but he believed they could be got for less now, as land had depreciated in value since. The sections, he thought, could now he purchased for J650 each.

Mr. Oliver : Thirteen sections would be required, which would cost Mr. Gibson said he wished to point out that the road to the Waimate Plains and the main road to New Plymouth would be close to the sites which the deputation advocated.

Mr. Oliver : The next deputation will probably tell nic that the Other site was accepted by the previous Government. What have you to say against the claim they will probabably set vp — that they bought the land on the faith of the Government having macle a positive promis that the station would be on the Southern Extension, and that the land had been bought at auction, and high prices given, on the strength of that promise ? Mr. Gibson said it was a party of speculators who had bought the land, and. cut it up. He believed that Mr. Rees had recommended the station on the Southern Extension on account of some sections which had been given to him.

Mr. Inkster said he was the first settler who had come there ten years ago. At that time the principal township was laid out at the mouth of the Waingongoro Biver. For the last few years it was the wish of the resid nts of Normanby that they should have a central site for a Telegraph Station, and they now considered it very hard that the station should be selected on the Extension, especially as the settlers between Normanby and Stratford had to come to the former place, as they had neither a Bank nor a Telegraph Station between the two pieces. Mr. Gibson : You will observe, sir, that there is not a single public building on the Extension: there are only some private cottages. Mr. McGuire, before he purchased that land, wanted to buy some from Mr. Brett near the site which the deputation are advocating, and he stated at a public meeting that he could have the station built on either place.

Mr. Oliver said he would prefer to see the station where the largest number of settlers were located. But if the late Government had limited him to one selection, he might he compelled to select a site which he would not otherwise probably approve. His mind' was a perfect blank on the subject. Hg< had first to ascertain whether he had any option in the matter. ' - Mr. Finlayson : If the former Government committed an injustice, I do not think the present Government should be bound by it. X „, Mr. Oliver: Assuming an .injustice, to be done by the adoption of the^site on the Extension, the injustice will be only a question ot degree. If the land had been bought at auction on the strength of promises made by the Government, there will still be an injustice, whatever way the matter is settled. I will give my decision in the interests of the greatest number, if I possibly can. ' Mr. Oliver wished to know whether Hone Pihama desired to say anything, to which the latter replied (through Mr. C. Wallace) that he desired, to leave the matter entirely in the hands of the Government. He was willing to give tbe land for the station, but the"£rovemment could please themselves whether they accepted it or not. Mr. Gibson, on behalf of the deputation, then thanked Mr. Oliver for his courtesy, and the deputation retired.

THE SOUTHERN EXTENSION SITE.

Five gentlemen, representing the interests connected with the Southern Extension site, then, entered the room, and Mr." "■Thomson explained ttteir views.

He stated that at the sale of the land, the parties purchasing were informed that the Government had selected the site ; consequently, more money had been given for the sections, and buildings had been erected, on the strength of the document which had been forwarded by the Government to the owners of the land, accepting the site which they had ofl'ered for the station. So far as the other sites were concerned, he was of opinion that the Extension one was better than either of them, as a proof ot which he would mention that it had only been accepted by the Government after it had been approved of by their Engineer. Mr. Oliver: Have you a copy of the letter, in which you state that the Government finally accepted the site ?

Mr. Thomson said li had, but it was in Hawera. He had lately changed his office, and his papers had got mixed up, and he was unable to find it that morniug. He thought Mr. Oliver would have a copy of the document from the Public Works Office.

Mr. Oliver said, of course, he could get ifc. But it appeared strange to him if a positive promise had been given. Mr. Thomson said that before the sale, they had asked Mr. Macandrew for a definite answer, and had received a reply stating that the site had boer^ accepted.

Mr. Oliver : lam anxious to get a copy of tho lottor, as I wish to see whether I have any option left to me. Mr. Thomson further remarked that the town was growing towards the Extension, and he would like Mr. Oliver to boo for himself. He then handed in the following memorial : — To tho Hon. tho Minister of Publio Works ior the Colony of New Zealand.

The memorial of the committee appointed by the owners and occupiers of the Town of Normanby Extension and its vicinity to watch their interests in the Normanby Railway Station, respectfully sheweth, — j That the following are tho facts affecting the interests of the owners and occu- j piers of Normauby Extension, in connec- j tion with the Normanby Eailway Station. 1. That the former owners (Messrs. Thomson and McGuire) of the section now known as Normanby Extension, offered to the Government gratia, any part and quantity of the said section that would be required for the Normanby Railway Station. 2. That the Government, after considerable correspondence and inquiry, accepted and caused to be transferred to the Crown that piece of land shown on the sub-divi-sional plan of tho extension as the Railway Station. 8. That the allotments comprising the Extension were then sold by public auction at sales held in Hawera and Wellington. 4. That those now owning and occupying the extension having at the various sales hoard read and explained th 1 correspondence and memorandum of transfer j of the railway station site, bought the allotments, giving such price for them as in accordance with their relative positions to the railway station, and at such sales it was clearly understoood that the Government would place the Normanby Railway Station on the site shown on the subdivisional plan of the Extension. 5. That valuable buildings have been erected, and considerable interest involved in the Extension, besides the first cost of the allotments, all of which have been entered into in full trust in the good faith of the Government using the said site ibr the Normanby Railway Station. 6. That the Extension site is convenient for Normanby as at present occupied, and as occupation and building are increasing on the Extension and not increasing on the other side of Normanby, the future convenience of the whole Town of Normanby will be best served by using the Extension site for the Normanby Railway Station. Your memorialist beg that your best consideration be given to their position as above stated. Hawera, sth April, 1880. Mr. Oliver said he would go and see for himself. But he was anxious to know the exact terms upon which the land had b en accepted by the late Government. Mr. Allen said that forty houses had been built during the last twelve months on the Extension, whilst only one building had been erected in the other portion of the town. He was proceeding to speak, when Mr. Oliver said that all tho eloquence that could be used could not alter the question. One party wanted to have the site in one place, and another wanted it in the other. He would endeavour to decide the matter upon its merits — that is, if he had any option. Mr. Quin stated that a letter had been i received by Mr. Gibson from tho Public Works Office, dated ICth Novembor, 1878, refusing to entertain any other site but that which had been selected on the Southern Extension. The interview was then brought to a close, as the Hon. Mr. Oliver said that he I had to be in Stratford at one o'clock. Before, however, proceeding oh his ; journey, the hon. gentleman drove down to the Extension, and Mr. Thomson, who accompanied him and Mr. Blackett, pointed out the locality.

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