MINISTERS’ MOVEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18768, 23 January 1923, Page 9

MINISTERS’ MOVEMENTS

TOUR OF CENTRAL OTAGO. DEPUTATIONS AT CROMWELL. (From Okr Own Correspondent.,) CROMWELL, January 22. . The Hon. J. G. Coates and the Hon. D. Stewart, and party, who are at present _ visiting Central Otngo, arrived at Cromwell on Saturday evening. They were met by a ...... large and representative gathering of •~t settlers and citizens who had various mat-. ters to ventilate. A few matters directly > concerning the Ministers present, were • i brought forward,,, land questions figuring prominently with the deputations, ‘ • in connection with the Roaring Meg irri- i f gation scheme, Mr Coates said tnat another *:■ survey was to bo made with a view to a* bringing under the scope of the scheme' land at a higher level than was originally, - t intended. The scheme first outlined would provide also 1500 horse power electricity.'.’ ' The revised scheme would reduce this to . about 800 horse-power. The second survey, . would probably be completed in May. '‘ ‘ The Minister promised to ascertain the. reason why seats on the Otago Central trainj could be reserved from Dunedin to Crom-V,., well, but not from Cromwell to Dunedin. * The big Kawarau River mining fioheme was mentioned, and Mr Coates briefly said that it was an ambitious undertaking; and. would afford ground for an interesting dis- h cussion.'. MR A great deal of time was spent hearing i;- 1 local views on the subdivision of Mount I’isa. Those were chiefly to the effect that ■ smaller/areas than were proposed should be laid out, as by this means the small men would have a chance. It was further con* tended that the rabbit pest would be more effectively dealt with. The small holdings • should combine hill country and an . area ... of flat land below. A protest against the extension of leases. ■ • was raised in a case presented by the. small .. jn; settlers of Bannockburn, who sought small- ,[> holdings of 400 to 600 acres of the Kawarau->,■<>l block of hill country. They presented a | ’ strong case and sought to snow that they j would extensively increase the carrying • capacity of such areas, while no hardship would be suffered by tire lessee, who, they claimed, would still have a big area of ploughable land and about 12,000 acres of, ... hill country. ” . • 'The Minister could only say that ho would , present the case to the Minister of Lands. Representations were made in regard to the hardship to country subscribers in connection with the increased rates for telephones, the point made being that in small country towns few free calls were made. Mr Coates, in reply, painted out - the" ~ heavy increase in the amount expended on telephone extensions which oould not be ; done at a loss. His latest proposals were in the direction of making the charges more equitable, increasing the charges on those in the cities who derived the greatest benefit. If necessary an official might visit • the town and ascertain the effect locally. Both the Ministers, who were well received, spoke briefly, and were accorded" ;, a hearty vote of thanks for their interest l -’ ,: in and attention to the wants of the dis- , ; tricit. i From • Cromwell the party went to Queenstown, Tarras, and Ardgour, and they will proceed this afternoon to Roxburgh. \ - (From Cue Own Correspondent.) - QUEENSTOWN, January 22. ■ ;• The Hon. J. G. Coates and the Hoh. W,; D. Stewart arrived at Queenstown per motor from Cromwell, where tney have. been engaged looking info the irrigation. V, proposals. They left for Tarras in tllA, afternoon. .