VISITING MOTUEKA ELECTORATE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 13 April 1928, Page 6

VISITING MOTUEKA ELECTORATE

£)£)?07; ATlort S ISi;ARO SECL'RJTV FOR (U-t.\SS SEEP LOANS The .Minister m' Lands ulie Him. A. IX McLeod; accompanied hy his private secretary (Air .Mulligan), Mr H. I’. Hudson, ALL., and the local Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr A. I l '. Waters) arrived at Murchison from Nelson on Wednesday afternoon.

Later the Minister received deputations at the Council Chamber. Mr .Stewart, chairman of the Murchison County Council, presided. The most important matter dealt with was a complaint of the security asked lor by the Slate Advances Depart men t when granting grass seed loans. After welcoming the Minister to the district Mr Hudson referred in the grass seed loans and to the resentment that Jiad been shown by some settlers at the close inquiry made by the Department. into their financial position. He had now found out that there was only a limited amount- available for grass seed Joans and the Government made the inquiries complained of in order to allocate the loans where they were wanted most.

The .Minister said he liked to visit the outlying portions of the farming districts as much as possible, but he had been hampered by the short recess. At the u'nie of the Raetihi fires (he explained) the sum of JJ75.000 was set aside as a relief fund on that occasion to supply grass seed, houses, etc. When the present dry season opened there was about £25,000 remaining in the fund. The Government, decided that that wa.« to be available only for persons who could not, afford to buy seed themselves. The fund was made available at once. There were a number of men who could nut finance the buying of grass seed. Applications exceeded the amount available and consequently the Department made full inquiries into the applicants' positions to see who needed assistance most. That was the reason for a course against which there had been much complaint. The Minister hoped the allocation of the relief fund had been satisfactory. He was sine that the majority of the settlers would agree with him that grass seed was wasted if it was not followed up by fencing and stocking up to keep fern in check. The Minister's instructions were that seed should be supplied to the best areas and that wherever possible assistance should be given the settlers to fence in the freshly-sown areas.

Mr iMcAuliffc said settlers appreciated that the Government was doing a great deal for them in regard to grass seed, but- they complained of the mortgage system of supplying the seed. , At the time of the Haetilii fire seed was granted, on promissory notes only. Now a lien was put on stock, which could not be dealt with without application to the -State Advances Office.

The Minister intervened to state that lie did not know the .Department had extended its security to stock. He did not, agree with that policv. Mr McAidiffc thought' the Department in wanting a mortgage ever stock, land and also an order on cream cheques was wanting too much.

Mr Newton McConocbii; said this was the real busiw of complaint, and if stock could be left out of the .security asked for it would be a great assistance to settlers in stocking up for next season.

Mr McLeod said lie knew tin- difficulty caused hy having a lieu over stock. He would go into this phase of the matter with hi.« colleague, the Minister of Finnnri'. and see what could lit' done. In cases of hardship relief could be granted from the general relief fund. The writings off in connection with deteriorated hinds were an honest, endeavour on the part of the Department to keep the men on the land where they were. lie was pleased to see a more hopeful outlook from these difficult areas. There was no doubt that manuring would do much in the future. The .Minister explained that he could not dictate what the .State .Advances Department should do. but he could discuss the question with the Superintendent and point out to him that hy encumbering the stock he was doing something to the detriment of the security.

RATIXG OF DETERIORATED LANDS

Mr McConochie asked would the rating of deteriorated lands come under the new reduced valuations. The. 'Minister said the rates would be levied on the new valuation only when a new valuation of tin- county was made.

In answer to another question Mr McLcod said he was taking up the valuation question with the Valuation department and would ask them to expedite new county valuations wherever there had been considerable alterations in values. There had been 51 applications from counties for valuation during the present year, and those could not all be dealt with in the lime without almost doubling the staff of the Valuation Department. The Minister was> not prepared to do that because it meant bringing in a number of practically amateur officers -which would result in unequal valuations. As far as possible one officer worked through each hospital district so that the different counties concerned would he valued according to the one standard. It was pointed out that there had been no valuation of the Murcbison County for 12 years, and Mr Mcl.eoil said that in view of that he could assure those present that Murcbison would be one of the first oil the list.

ROAD ACCESS TO RACKBLOCKS

Mr McConochie stated that many settlers were being asked to pay more and more towards the cost of providing road access to their sections—a charge that they very often couldn't afford. Those unfortunate settlers were carrying on without road access and made their way to and from then- holdings hy means of pack horses. The speaker was satis lied the Minister would realise that farming could not be carried on profitably under such conditions.

The Minister interposed thai the Lands Department was not able ti> burrow money for rends. In those districts that could not fairly or reasonably carry subsidies straight out grants were

given. Mr 'Hudson very emphatically contended that men should not he allowed to settie on land that- was not worth the provision of road access. Either access should be given to those at present re-

quiring it or .-is.- Hie Government should buy Lfit'in out. The whole count r\ fered if there was good dairying land with in. access. As far a- (he Minister's statement that the Lands Department way mil a. borrowing department was concerned, il was i pity the Depart nienLs did nol work together better in

Lh-.il. respect. A great deal o good oold be <}>.mo 1.,, co operation b?lv.-?erj Urn Public V/oT;,; De,».rt.no.it and lii" lionds Dro-irlincn'. Mr McLrod .said he .igrewl in general will) Mr Hudson'.- contentions, but be would assure him and those present that the Minister oi Public Works (the Hon. K. S. Williainsj was- most sympathetic towards road requirements in hack block districts. Mr Voting usually travelled with the speaker and had asked Jiiin in not.' any roading requests met with on the present tour. "If ever a Government was criticised for ovcrborrowing ii was tin- present Government." said the Minister, "bill nn previous (iovernmenl in New Zealand has gone so far in helping the hack country settlers as the present < lovernmeiit has done." Every year the Public Work- Department brought down estimates two or three millions in iwce.-s of what the Government could reasonably spend. No one was more anxious to help tiie back country settlers than the present Minister of ' Public Works oi the present Prune Minister. "Further, he concluded, "this district ha- in,! suffered compared with the rest of NewZealand in the number of voles given it."

TELEPHONES IN RACKRLOI KS Mr Eraser brought forward a pica for cheaper telephone service for backbh ek district?. The life of I hose settler.-, was ainiost unbearable and the provision ol telephones at a reduced rale would be one way of making the life of people on the land more endurable. The Milfister assured those present that the Government did intend to help with the provision of telephones for Ihe. outlying districts. even though such lines would not pay one per cent, en the outlay. SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE Reference to the School dental pel . Ice at Murclnson was made by Mr ■•riser. Murehisoii was made a branch of tin* Motueka service, hut since the oii.eer was transferred from Motueka to North Island several mouths ago Murc.liisovi had not seen a dental oilicer. Mr Hudson said that the new denial oilicer at .Motueka now attended to Takaka and Collingwood in place of Murclnson. When this change was made Mr Hudson understood that another man was to take charge of Murehisoii and Helton.

Mr Mcl.cod undertook to place the position before the Minister of Health. Mr Stewart moved a vote of thanks to the Hon. Mr McLcod for coming alone, lie felt sure the settlers present would feel that the Mimst.i was in sympathy with them. The. vote was carried bv acclamation.