THE PREMIER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 5419, 26 July 1906, Page 1

THE PREMIER.

VISIT TO THE SOUTH. DUNEDIN, July 23. The Premier, the How. W. Hall-Jones arrived by the first express to-day, and was seen shortly after by a deputation alio wished to obtain his sanction to the plans for the maternity homo in brick, it having been found that the wooden building for the conversion of which the lute Premier had placed £SOO on the*Estimates, Ims been practically destroyed by the white pine borer. This evening the Premier and the directors of the Union Company and] (the reprufeciatnt'iivc of iiudlclart,, Par- I ker, and Co. are in consultation as to fares, etc., in connection I with the Christ church Exhibition. ’The Premier will have a busy day with deputations, inspection of the suggested dte for infectious drsoiascs hospital, an cl the manner in which the Railway Department ha* absorbed the Harbor Board endowment and’cut off the city from the foreshore. Tho Premier was seen after Iris conference with the Union Company’s di-. rectors ns to the arrangements with respect to bringing visitors to the colony durijsg the period the Exhibition is open, but was not prepared to •ay what arrangements had been arrived at. Ho would say, however, that negotiations had resulted in arrangements not unsatisfactory to the

people of Now Zealand. A VERY BUSY BAY. DUNEDIN, July 21. The Premier was kept busy all day with deputations. He gave no encouragement to the proposal that Hie Government .should contribute £1590 towards housing Br iloeken’s library, but said that there would be a substantial vote this year for the prosecution of the Gatlins railway. lie visited the new mental hospital on the Peninsula this afternoon. The Premier this morning inspected the fever hospital site at Logan’s Point. He »ays the objections to tins ■To are,'firstly, the noise of the firing, at the rilie butts close by; and, secondly, the presence of the fever hospital might deprecate the value of surrounding property amongst which

190 acres are owned by the Government. He will bring tl;e matter bofore the Cabinet for reconsideration. Tho Olngo League has written to (he Premier, complaining of the improper distribution of co-operative workers engaged on railway extension work* Mi rou giro ut (ho colony, as shown by the report of the Department for May. The chief complaint is in reference to Hie number employed on the West)* Coast of this island, (1517), a» compared with Hie.jiumber in Otago and Southland (597). The League ask* for a more equitable distribution.

A large deputation waited on the Premier to atk assistance in the housing ail'd collection of early history r«. cords, maps, pictures, etc., which Dr. Hoekeii is prepared to donate for the benefit of the public provided it is properly housed. It was suggested that the Government should give £ for £, the cost of a suitable building being £2999. It was urged that the local public had been so frequently

ap[iealod to of late for the university, hospital extension, public art gallery, and other ■matters that it was (Rough* another appeal might not be successful. The Premier was sympathetic, ami realised the great value of Hie collection and Dr. Hockon’s generosity in offering lo donate it but thought every effort should lie made to raise ( lie money locally. He would make ho promise in regard to £ for £ subsidy, kiiggesiing to the Mayor that lie should let. him know how ho got on in a»i appeal to the public. He was , quite sure if the offer was made in

any of the other centres the money would be raised.

Replying to u deputation from the Otago Central League who desired to urge that the railway should, not stop at Clyde, the Premier advised them to let the railway go on step Ry step. It -would he curried on toGlyde and when it was nearing there, would bo time to see him about a further extension.

To a deputation from the Gatlins River Railway League which followed, the Premier said ho recognised the hardships of settlors and he desired to push on the work, Jnit ho also desired to have the North Island trunk line; completed by the end of 190 S, and 'then they woufd bo able ho pro(/Bed with other works. He wished to be xj-uito clear. They need not expect ,0715,000 this year for the Gatlins lime, bull they would got such progress made as would meet their desires. The Horn. \V. Hall-Jones inspected the site for the suggested infections diseases hospital to-day ; also the areas taken by the Railway Department from the Harbor Board endowment. In the afternoon ho went in a motor car to sec the work's nt the camp or Lnmach’s Castle, which has been acquired as an adjunct to the iScaoliff Mental Hospital. The Premier leaves for Christchurch in the morning, reaching Wellington on Friday.