INTERVIEW WITH THE PREMIER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12270, 14 May 1903, Page 5

INTERVIEW WITH THE PREMIER.

LAND AND DAIRYING.

THE MATAMATA ESTATE.

HISTORY OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.

PROGRESS OF AUCKLAND.

A Herald reporter was granted an interview with Mr. Seddon yesterday afternoon, soon after his arrival at the Grand Hotel. Questioned at the outset as to his movements, the Premier said he felt the weather was too bad for him to go North this month, but tho Hon. W. Hall-Jones was here, and intended making the trip North, and probably a visit by the Minister for Public Works would do more good than a visit by the Premier. Mr. Seddon then outlined his programme for the next few days, as given elsewhere, and in connection with his contemplated visit to Rotorua, he said Rotorua was going ahead splendidly, but required some attention in the matter of drainage, the drainage works so far carried out not having proved satisfactory. The matter was now in hand, with the view of an improved scheme being carried out.

"You also contemplate putting diningcars on the Rotorua trains next summer?" "Yes; that is on the tapis." DAIRY EXPERTS.

" Has anything been done in the matter of appointing a dairy expert? "Yes. The Agent-General has been instructed in the matter, and we are in communication with both Denmark and Canada. Last week the Cabinet passed a resolution to get a man from Denmark and another from Canada if suitable men were offering. There is plenty of work to do, and plenty of room for the two men. There is one difficulty with the Danish experts, viz., the language. We had one expert from Denmark, a splendid man as an expert, but lie had difficulty in communicating his ideas to the settlers, owing to the language difficulty." LAND POLICY. " Can you say anything about the future land policy?" " Well, when I was here last I gave instructions to have the whole of the available lands gazetted, to have them classified under their electoral districts, and to have placed at all the post offices booklets showing the nature of the land available, tile localities, and the terms upon which it is open for settlement, so that anyone wishing land has only to go to the nearest post office and see for themselves what is available. Under the old systeni of gazetting, only certain lands got buried in the Gazette notice, and nobody Knew about it. For instance, one block of 40,000 acres of native land in Whakatane got buried up, no attention was paid to it, and it was to be thrown open as grazing laud until I stopped it, and we are now dealing with it for close settlement. "I see it announced that the Government intend to take Matamata compulsorily under the Land for Settlement Act?" "Yes, but there is a slight mistake in the Herald this morning. We did not offer £2 15s per acre. When the negotiations were going on for the purchase of the estate the Government valuers thought it worth about £2 an acre. After they examined it the Government offered £2 10s, but the Assets Board wanted £31 At that time the Assets Board had a party who wanted it to be put under offer to him at £3. It was not an offer to purchase, but he wanted it to be put under offer to him at that figure to see what he could do with it. However, he backed out, ana meantime we got fresh valuations made, which ranged from £2 ,12s to £2 17s 6d. The latter figure is the highest valuation we have got. The Assets Board still wanted £3, and so we decided we would take it compiilsorily. That means that the Assets Board appoints an arbitrator, the Government appoints an arbitrator, and a judge of the Supreme Court sits as chairman to fix the price. That will finally settle the matter. Some of the land is very goodl have seen it myself —but everybody admits that a j good deal of it is not worth anything. At all events we want land for settlement there, and it is a question of breaking the ice. There has been a lot of delay, but I did not like to force the Board, because the Bank of New Zealand shareholders might think they had not got full value for it." . , 'FRISCO MAIL SERVICE. . " Is. there anything new regarding the San Francisco mail service?" " Nothing except that I see they can make a quick trip when they like." PREFERENTIAL TARIFF. " Will the question of a preferential tariff for British goods be dealt with during the approaching session of Parliament?' "We have 1 not come to a final conclusion yet on that matter, but my own view is that something should be done. They have not helped matters at Home by doing what they have done. We think they ought to have allowed matters to remain in statu quo till all the parties at the Premiers' Conference had an opportunity of meeting their own Parliaments. I think the action in taking off duties was inconsiderate." THE VICTORIAN STRIKE. "Would you care to express an opinion on the railway strike in Victoria?" " No. It would not do for me to express an opinion, except to say that I regret the strike has occurred. 4- an old Victorian, and an old employee on the Victorian railways, I regret it very much, especially coming, as it does, immediately after the drought. My sympathies are with Victoria. I don't think it could have occurred in New Zealand." CONCLUSION. . " Anything you would like to add?" * " Nothing, except that I am gratified to find Ilia* Auckland is flourishing. I always said it would, and I am pleased to find the marked progress it is making. There is no doubt about the progress of Auckland. I have the satisfaction of knowing that whilst other places in the colony have progressed, Auckland is almost on top. I still stick to that Alpha and Omega, that putting people oil the land is the key to the success of the colony. During the 10 years I have been in office, 22,000 holdings have been taken up. You can average that at five persons per holding, that is to say, a man and wife and three children, and you have 110,000 people placed on the land in 10 years. You can't rub that out. I am going op the Waikato with Mi. Carroll. For a long time there has been some little trouble about the Maori Councils and the boundaries. When the native chiefs met at Government House some years ago, the Waikatos decided that anything Mahuta and I agreed upon would be binding upon the chiefs. Last time I was in Auckland I missed meeting Mahuta. through some mistake regarding the dates, and this time it is r question of meeting and finally adjusting these matters. With the question of boundaries finally adjusted there will be a big area of land open for settlement. Within the last seven months over half-a-million acres of land have been clothed with the Crown title, and brought within our law. Once it is within our law the. question of settling it is simplicity itself, and I believe that next year we should settle .at least -million acres of native land."

In closing the interview, our representative said he had no doubt the people of Auckland would be pleased to see so many Ministers coming here, and Mr. Seddon added, with a smile, that Ministers Saw there was something to be done in Auckland, and .hey were steadily keeping in view 1 the taking over of Admiralty House as a Ministerial residence.

Taking this little pleasantry as a parting shot, our representative withdrew.