HON. PEMBER REEVES

Northern Advocate, 22 February 1926, Page 2

HON. PEMBER REEVES

VISIT TO WHANGAREI. IMPRESSIONS OF DISTRICT. i'hirty-two years ago, when Minister :f Education, the Hon. W. Pember V:ves, author of “The Long White mud, ” paid a visit to North Auckland. He spent a fortnight, chiefly riding on horseback, for driving on most of the roads in those days called for courage which, he declares, he did not possess. On that occasion Mr Reeves did not visit Whangarei, and since then has not been in the North until the present tour, which he is making as the chairman of directors at London of the National Bank of of New' Zealand. Interviewed by a “Northern Advocate” reporter, Mr

Reeves gave ah interesting account of his impressions of the trip to these parts.

“I need hardly say,” he said, , “that I see very many signs of progress, in particular the work of draining the swamps. I passed through the Ruawai and Tokatoka country, where the work seems to have been thoroughly successful, and I had a look at the southern part of the Hikurangi swamp, which I should imagine ought to be equally successful. When you • think these areas alone cover about 60,000 acres you can see what swamp draining means in this part of New Zealand.” A FAILING OF DEPUTATIONS. Referring to the recent journey of the Hon. A. D. McLeod through the North, Mr Reeves went on to say that he had carefully read the accounts relating to the tour and what had been said by deputations and by the Minister. Deputation were wont to complain at all times and in all places, and if he had not come to the North himself he would have imagined that the people of this part of New Zealand were in a very much more depressed state than they appeared to be. Happily this country was very I far from being as black as deputations were inclined to paint it. He had seldom set eyes upon a more comfortable population and, if he might say so, he had seen more stoutly-built people-here than in any other district he had visited. SWAMPS AND GUM LANDS. “Of course the work of improving the country of the North is only in continued Mr Reeves. “It is not yet, half., done. If a casual visitor like myself may hazard an opinion, I should say that- the. most hopeful direction in which to push on improvements would be 'to drain the numerous swamps, which are still almost untouched. It is quite evident that most of them would make gaod land.

“As regards gum lands, I have seen evidence that small patches of them may be made highly productive by intensive culture. I think that may be regarded as quite proved. One of the most productive and profitable gardens I have seen in New Zealand has been made on soil that is just white pipeclay. I walked over it a few days ago, but of course it was only a patch of about two acres and was the outcome of skill and very hard manual labour. ’ ’

An unsolved problem was how to deal with the gum lands on a fairly large scale, with a holding not of 20, but 200 acres. There, Mr Reeves entirely agreed with Mr McLeod that scientific experiments might well be carried out .by the Government. Many private persons had carried out experiments and some of them had lost money thereby. It was scarcely fair to expect such men to go on sacrificing themselves in order to selva a national problem.

SCENIC PRESERVATION.

From these considerations Mr Reeves went on to refer to the preservation of natural scenery, and said he would venture to urge the people both of Whangarei and other northern . districts to systematically take this matter in hand. In the past many of them did not seem to have realised what an exceedingly valuable asset this would be to them in days to come. If they preserved the beauty of this country and, as they cleaned it up and cultivated it, made it even more beautiful, then, with its unrivalled climate, it would be extraordinarily attractive both as a countfy of residence and as a holiday resort of people from oveseas a»d from other, colder parts of New Zealand.

Although he had travelled in many countries, Mr Reeves declared that he had never breathed a sweeter, pleasanter, more wholesome air than that which blew across this peninsula. He could not imagine a more charming corner of the earth for an old man to retire to. But if the North wanted to attract people, either as visitors or as residents, it must not deface the country with land slips or weed-infest-ed areas.

A BRIGHT TOWN. “Finally,” said Mr Reeves, “let me compliment you upon the thriving and ■ cry agreeable look of Whangarei. It is a bright town and, as your gardens grow up, will become brighter still. Vcur golf links, if T may say so, are ■is pretty as any I have seen. By the onv, you ought to have some society ■ict afoot to protect the Whangarei '■'alls and the vegetation around it. 'i is a, real beauty spot and T was

sorry to sec that one of the banks by the bathing pool had been swept by fire and the gorse allowed to Safest the place. It is well worth preserving with the utmost care.” Mr Reeves left Whangarei by the express today for Auckland. He is to continue bis tour of inspection from there,' visiting the Hauraki and Thames districts and leaving Auckland for England in April. Questioned ns to any future literary work, Mr Reeves said he might write some articles and deliver a lecture or (wo upon New Zealand.