THE SESSION'S WORK.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XL, Issue 13258, 17 December 1913, Page 5

THE SESSION'S WORK.

-«*-_ REVIEWED BY MR W. D. S. MACDONALD. "The session has undoubtedly beer <i. most strenuous one," remarked Mi W. D. S. Mac Donald, M.P.. who re turned from Wellington by the Taka puna this morning. The member for the Bay of Plentj went ou to say he had left Gisborne or June 7th, and he arrived at Wellington at the beginning of the session, and ha< been going continuously ever since. Hi was glad to be back m the district agaii to rest after tho long strain. NATIVE LAND LEGISLATION. A tremendous amount of legislatioi had been brought before the House, an. a largo number of the Bills were prac tically on tlie same lines as past legisla tion. In the new measures on thi statute book he did not know if ther \vas_anything that affected this distric very much. In the land legislation, ani also native land., legislation, some altera tions had been made, but he did no know that the change respecting nativ land would expedite settlement. Th procedure was much the same as pre viously. The Boapd, would have prac tically the same power as the Nativ Land Courts, and the judges would hay fixed districts. To his mind it was i big question whether that would be an, improvement on .the circuit system Under the new system different court might be dealing with the interests c the same natives at the one time, whic] would complicate matters considerably WILL RETARD SETTLEMENT. In doing away with the Maori repre sentation on the Maori Land Boards it would create a certain amount of dis trust m the minds of the natives, si instead of expediting matters it migh cause even more delay m the presen system. The chief objection taken b the Bill by the native members am those interested Jn native affairs wa the -givhv? of power to native benefici aries m certain reserves alienated fo all time to. sell their individual interests either to .-, the Government or to th Public, Trusj.ee.' This practically mean there .vfoujd* he no reservations left fo the na^jyes, .. There were certain trus lands, the Gfisbbrno' district that wer exempted; the Minister's, reason fo agreeing to .-, eliminate these lands wa that the trustees had power .. of sal already. He was of opinion that ther was no question that for some time a least .the Government's action would re tard settlement of native land instead of expediting it. All new legislatioi was looked upon with a c^tain amoun of suspicion by tlie natives. . The cliic objection he had- to the measure wa that it had not improved 'the positioi m connection with survey and valua tion which were the main factors m th speedy Settlement of native land. _>Ti adequate means . of roading had beei provided, nbr had any attempt beei made to assist natives m certain m stances to farm their own lands. CROWN! LANDS. In regard to Crown lands, these wer practically m the same position, except ing l.i.pY settlement lands, the tenant of which had now the right to buy th freehold at- practically, the original value Tliis would, affect Wigan, Willows, an< Waimarie estates locally. A good claus. m the Bill which the Prime Ministe agreed to put m at his (Mr McDonald's instigation, provided for the revalua tion of Crown' lands m certain instances Many of these blocks had been undoubt edly over valued,and it was really neces sary m the interests of settlement tha this provision should be made. Graz ing run lessees under the 1892 Act wen exempt from residence under ten years Tliis was reasonable, as it brought then into conformity with 6ther Crown ten ants on o.r.p. lands. ROADS AND RAILWAYS. Public works were one of tlie most im portant matters affecting this district He had to admit that the total vote: were disappointing, especially m regarc to roading, but it was satisfactory that a fair provision had been made for the Gisborne-Napier line, m so far as it would complete the works m progress as far as Ngatapa, but he was afraid there was very little money for pushing on the undertaking at a speed m keeping with the national importance of the East Coast main trunk line. There was no question that tbe importance ol railways to an isolated district such aa this had been demonstrated'" during the present' strike. DISAPPOINTMENT. In- regard to the Motu line, the amount provided "would not .carry the work beyond Kowhai road, and he considered this very disappointing after the Minister's definite promise to him last May. He regretted that the Minister ' would make no definite pronouncement as Lc the future construction of the line beyond Kowhai Toad. The Hon. Mi Fraser stated that he had not sufficient data to decide the permanent route from Motu to . Opotiki, but as there had been ho survey exploration carried on during the past twelve months there did not appear to be much anxiety on the part of the Department to obtain the necessary information. Aa there had been close on £60,000 voted this session for altogether new lines authorised by the present Government since' they came into office, ho felt that those who were interested m the .Gisborne-East Coast line, via Motu and Opotiki, for dissatisfaction. An amount of £50,000 bad been voted ' for the Tauranga-Opc^ihi section. This must be looked upon as satisfactory', and as the Department bad definitely located the line which ran over easy country, substantial progress should be made with this line duriiig the coming year. Tlie Minister had not given any indication to the House this session iii regard to the new methods adopted by him m regard to railway construction, further than to say that both the co-operative and contract systems had been 'carried r ~out as m the past. ' . . Tn addition to the above there hao 1 been a small sum voted for the Mongo-mii-Taurangn. line to Waihi.. but tbe paucity of these votes had no doub! been caused by the votes for the Go vernment's new lines. « LOCAL REQUIREMENTS, -v.In regard to 1 local requirements i h(id been a' matter of great difficult, to get any information from' the. De partments ' owing to the pressure o work during -the. session.. Touching oi the purchase of Gray's bush ami it: exchange with' the 'Ormond Domain although he had made repeated appli cations to tlie Minister of J^u.ds am Under-Secretary, he . had been, unabl to get any definite reply. There wer votes ou for the Motu-Opotiki mail road, also the Pakihj and Matawai Wajoqk'a roads and various svnafl grant throughout, the district. General 1; speaking, so far as the Public Work . statement was concerned, the Govern nlent did' not appear to have change* the system of allocating grants, to an; material extent. Although there ha< been a fair amount of money voted fo all,, class of work throughout r the Do mi pi on, the question' of, giving' effect, t< Llicse votes would lar^ch- deprnd^on tit success or otherwise of the fiiiai.tro operations of the Government. At th present' moment, .with largely increase* expenditure m every direction, and th falling 1 off of railway revr.nue. the fipan cial .prospects v. ere not as bright .ns on wo_tkl desire to .cc them.. . . „ Mr Mac Donald said, m conclusion that he intended, after a few week; rest, to deliver addresses both' m thi district and throughout the. Dominion.