The Minister of Lands.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume XIV, Issue 715, 11 February 1919, Page 3

The Minister of Lands.

THROW H 'THE WK.STKRX DISTRICT

The Minister oi Lands (Hon. D. H. Guthrie), with the Hon. A. F. Hawke, Mr J. C. Thomson, M.P., Aleasra 11. 1> M. Haszard (Commissioner {of Crown Lands), and J. B. Thomson (Chief Drainage Engineer), yesterdaj' toured the Western district. After being entertained at Winton by the A. and V. Association, the party arrived at OTAUTAU at -2.30 p.m. Mr R. Scatter, Chairman of the Town Hoard, presided "over a large gathering of Bottlers m the Wallace County Council Chambers, and welcomed the Mm ister, as did Mr L. Cxly, Chairman of the Council, the latter taking oucasiou to very ably place the needs of tlio distriofc for roads m the? back settlements before the Minister. Mr Cody advocated an .literal ion m the allocation ■■:' grants or re-serves for roads iir •Southland bush svll lemon t.«, advocating that out of £1. ."»s per aero upset price of lands 1.3s par acre should be used for roadmaking. The Minister, m reply, pointed out that legislation existed for the creation of Road districts, with powers to borrow for roadmaking, and having H years' rents of the district hypothecated for the payment of interest aud sinking funds on such loans. If this provision is adopted by County Councils, roads can bo opeued up very specdilv. .ALTON DISTRICT. Mr A. Bniumh.ill asked that r-wuls of access to bush s-'&t ions be nvule ; he had been settled Jor 10 years, and had uot yet go I a .road. The Minister pointed out that his explanation ot i ho formation of Roading districts should bo availed of. He would be very pleased to help tliem'in. carrying this out. Mr.T. (J. Th-mson intimated that £8000 had been voted by the Guvernme.it for forming roads m the distrio*. Mi Broomhall wanted pare of this devoted to gravelling. The Minister stated the Government would pay £ for £ grant towards gtavelling. MUSSK-L BEACH. Mr Recce, manager of the. Maryborough Timber Co., asked for assistance towards opening a rout to Mussel Beach to supplement the boat communication, which was uncertain. There were tiO men employed, a school had been opened that day, and if the rents usually allocated to public bodies were made available to the County Council some work could be done, but owing to the bush having been transferred from the control oi the Lauds to the State Forest Department, these rents were mopped up by the Government, Mr Outline said he was not aware ot the transfer of control, he would look into it. Perhaps the Forest Department would make a grant. LAKE TE ANAU. Cr Dyer and Mr A. F. Blatch made a strong appeal for supplementary help from the fjands and Tourist Departments towards controlling the Whitestone river and maintaining the Lake Te Anau-Lums-den road, which at present absorbed far more than its share of the Mararoa Riding, rates. , , , n- , Mr Guthrie said it was a Public works problem, and he would confer with Sir Win. Fraser. BEAUMONT SETTLER'S TROUBLE. Mr D. J. Heenan appealed for a grant of £300 to replace embankment previously washed away. The demand made by the Department that the settlers adjoining should find £300 did not seem equitable. Losses were taking place, and the land, which was wheat-bearing, could not be cultivated. • „ Mr Haszard, Commissioner of Crown Lands, said that he was not satisfied that if £600 were spent it would effect any permanent improvement. FROM SOURCE TO SEA. Mr G. A. Burnett, on behalf of the Otautau Progressive League, urged that effect be given to the Aparima River Commission's recommendation for the formation of a Board, with wider rating powers, to control the Aparima from its source to the sea. Grave injury was being done and severe losses iuflieted atf present, and ttie piece-meal actions of several boards was not effective. Mr Burnett was supported by Messrs Cody and Rodgers, Wallace County Council, J. Lindsay, J. Fisher, Otautau River Board. The Minister promised to have a report on the River furnished by,, the Commission, which was being sot up to enquire into other river matters m Southland. TOWN BOARD MATTERS. The Chairman of the Town Board brought under the notice of the Minister the desirability of a small reserve beiug set aside near the Otautau River Bridge on the Main Street from the Education reserve block under lease to Mrs Gardiuer, aud the Minister asked that the particulars be forwarded to him m Wellington. Unfortunately while the negotiations over the reserve were being carried out m a eon-, versational way between the Minister and the Chairman the deputation broko up and the other matters which were m the hands of the Town Clerk got a poor hearing, these were ; " Improvements to Bush Settlement Roads near Otautau." '* Erection of a crane at Otautau Railway Station." "Government Subsidy to Local Bodies for Soldier's Repatriation Public Works." The Hon. Mr Guthrie expressed his appreciation of the earnestness of the J community m sending such a large and representative a deputation fioni such widely scattered points and he assured them of the impression their representations had made on him. He would give the questions brought under his notice very careful consideration and he could assure them that Southland would not suffer from his ropori ; he had been most favonrably impressed with the whole district and thanked them for their kindly reception. The Minister and party were subsequently the guests of the Wallace County Council to afternoon refreshments and then motored to Riverton where a number of local matters were dealt with.