THE MINISTER FOR WORKS IN THE NORTH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 26 February 1909, Page 2

TH E MINISTER FOR WORKS IN THE NORTH.

IMPRESSIONS GAINED ON HIS TOUR. THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE COUNTRY. (From Ouv Special Correspondent). AUCKLAND, Friday. 11l .-peaking to a "Herald" reprre-ui-tativc on his m-enl visit to the Noitn Mr R. McK«iiJ!ii-, Minuter lor Works and Mines, said: "From my point '. i view the trip generally has been very satisfactory. Wo pasrid through tonic very fine country, and tome poor country' but there is no doubt I hat the North wiU carry a bit; population in the future. Its productiveness is capable of being increased many fold. Some parts of the north passed through will compare favourably with any part cf the Dominion, and for fruit gro-.vinj the Port Albeit district is capable of unlimited extension; that is, for certain classes of fiuit." "Thd. native lafid question," continued Mr McKenzie, "is going to be a serious trouble in the north owiu^ to the large extent of good land he):] by the Moris." Mr McKenzie said in regard to this that the Cabinet was endeavouring to settle tho native land trouble anj put it on a yatisfru'tory basis as soon as it could possibly te ■lone. On the question of tho Northern Main Trunk Railway, Mr McKeiizie said that •ibout £14,000 a month was being spent on the construction work at present. While speaking of the railway route he expressed the ojjjnion of the roads he had passe-J over during his ncrthera tour. "There are numbers of roads in the South as bad as those in the North Island," he said, "and tome of them worse. { passed over many lciiij stretches of excellent read goiag on th's trip." The Minister was impressed with the possibilities of thp Hokianua district, which is threaded Ly the £jreat Hokiiins;a rivr. "We did not see much of the district," he .-aid, "but it is uu douttedly a very fine one." I Speaking generally of those; great r,o'thorn \vaterw:iys, the Hokianga and the Wairoa, M- McKenzie saiil that their immense value to the North Island could not be overlooked