IDLE MAORI LANDS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13300, 9 February 1914, Page 4

IDLE MAORI LANDS.

PON. W. FRASER AT KAWHIA, The Hon. W. Eraser, Minister of Public WWks, has been makrtig his first visit to' the great bush territory^ lying between 'Te Awamutu and the Kawhia and Aotea harbors. He was entertained at Kawhia, and, m reply to the toast of 'his health, he expressed Ins satisfaction at being able to accept the invitation -to "visit 'Kawhia, because, as •Minister of' Public Works," it was his iduty to acquaint himself with the needs oi all portions of the Dominion. He had- not come, however,, to make promises which it would be impossible for him to fulfil. Tlie Poblic Works appropriations had. to. be approved by Cabinet and .voted by Parliament, oach electorate receiving a definite allocation. He was, however; prepared*, to "help those who heloed themselves. He recognised ithat the" district, was being strangled fbv unoccupied native land, the settleof which was an exceedingly diffl<s>ijjt problem, m that it was necessary to tfeal equitably between 'Maoris and Europeans. Kawhia. was unquestionably a back-blockb v di«t*i«t, a lar«e portion of which was as yet unoeeupied, and yielding >i'o revenue, but the Government was always willing to assist the struggling Settler. : "The Minister went pn to refer <to the ..^extremely successful -flotation of (the je4,*SQCr;OQO loatt, and he concluded With- an ! eulogistic ' reference ■» 't6 • the Prime Mtaister, who had ' devoted himselfiwith suoh enthusiasm to public life, and had borne the arduous duties of an exceptionally heavy session until his health bTOke under the strain, {iff * fcould say' that no Prime Minister had commanded more loyal support jfrom his cpllea^uesand^arty,