MINISTERIAL VISIT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 7315, 3 May 1913, Page 3

MINISTERIAL VISIT.

TO TEMTJKA. DEPUTATIONS AND BEQUrifITS. MAORI WELCOME. The Hon. W. -H. Hemes, Minister for Railways and Minister in charge of Native' Affairs/arrived in Tomuka at 4 p.m. yesterday by special train. The Minister 'was accompanied by Mr L E. Johnston and Mr B. Neavis, private secretaries. The Minister was . escorted about Temuka by Mr W. Nosworthv, M.P., the Mayor (Col. ' -Hay- „ hurst)*, and Mr K. R. Martin. < The deputation from the Teinuka School Committee was _to have nipt the Mihister at the station, but us unexpectedly early arrival prevented this. '.'The deputation (consisting ot Messrs T. Cunnion, •!. H. A. Tedder, and Murdock -McLeod B.M therefore ,'„et' the Minister at the Crown Hotel where they were introduced by the 'M'avor (Colonel Hayhurst). VISIT OK "NEW ZEALAND. Mr Gunnion first brought forward the matter of the visit of the batt eship "New 'Zealand," and pointed out to the I 'Minister the danger of the children being unable to reach the ship if the Weather happened .to be bad at Tin-aru. Would it be possible for the Minister to , arran.gp r ,for. an excursion train to Lytteltoii > ••• It was wholly a''"qucstion of whethei the ' Department had/the' necessary rolling stock; .Mr Hemes replied. Ihe request for the train to Lytteltonhad come from the schools as far south as Waimate, so that the deputation could see that the carriage question was no simple oiie. ~ . . Iu reply to Mr McLeod's question the' Minister said ' that adults could not ; CraVel with the children. He was looking'into the matter of the rolling stockf ■ If the excursions were run to Lvttel'ton, tho question arose as _to 'whether it woukl.be any, use bringing the ship" to Timaru'at all. Why not an extra (lay at Lyttelton ? However , the matter would be looked into, and the best, arrangements possible would < be 'made. . ■ . ' SCHOOL ADDITIONS. 1 The Minister and Mr W. Nosworthy, I M.P., and pdrty tnen motored, to the I school,' where Mr. -AloLeod .explarnod t 'the additions and extensions required, t involviiu'r' the building of a new room, and the -alteration of. three rooms, c Ho pointed out that most of the i rooms w;ero overtaxed twenty-five, and, thirty per cent., and.that it was impossible for. the teachers to carry out | the work of supervision as efficiently ( as if tl\ev-had room-to 3r.ove about. t Th* Minister: listened; -attentively to; t 'the'views,'/and', expressed sympathy \ with tttr request., 'He promised to t bring the matter before the Hon. J. c Allen, pn-his, return to New= Zealand. s .In reply, to the Minister's question, f .Mr-McLead, explained that tho addi- ; I tion .and alterations would cost f S'.ei2sQ, and ithat a request: for that sum .had been, forwarded by the . Board to \ the i-Department. The _plan ( "of- the necessary alterations bad also 1 'been forTO rd ed'i to■ the; Department by J ithe Board. ■,-.■■ \ - m 1 'NORTH END SCHOOL. ■

At the last meeting of the School Committee, Mr. G. Levels , ; mpyed that the deputation to the Minister, should not be,limited, but should include any ' member lof., the Committee who desired to (| ;For some reason this suggestion >;as not adopted. ■. • Mr, Levens, however, a s representing those taken a prominent part In, the. north end school movement, personally the Minister at. the. tiotel,. and, placed before the position regarding the . north end school. ;He mentioned, a large number ' of, families who Were practically with•'JKufc'\ school accommodation at the north He instanced.-the serious inconvenience these people were put to., ■and mentioned particularly the lengthy distance; the younger! children had to walk, and., the danger of their crossing the railway line. A school, he considered was necessary at the north end, and now. '-Pho Boar-d had applied to . the Department for a grant for'a site.', ■ • , Mr Armitage, who had supported the previous deputation's views as to the necessity of the alterations, also approved of Mr Leveiis' views, expressing the opinion thae it: was only, a matter of time when a new. school would be required on the site proposed. The'Minister asked why,, if a north dhd spnool,.\vas necessary, was it deBlrlvb'le' to 'spend £1250 on > additions to tffc W-eyeiJt, school? '#r 'Xr-milage explained that the IjSfi'ftf' had gone into the matter fully, ana that the position was best"'met by making additions to the present school, and securing a site for the future ,W school. ' . By securing tho si'lff 'now, the .Government would savo itself a considerable sum of money ; and' Mr Annitage mentioned tho Tinvivru AYest school site as an instance; of. where just ' such a saving had been on'oeted.

The' Minister promised his careful consideration of. the' whole question, and the reference of his views to the Hon. J". Allen'. •• ■■> . TEMMtS' SUPERANNLWITO'iN.

Mi D. Ferguson, M.A., of Winchester', waited upon the Minister, and explained .soine knotty points about the teachers!, superannuation. He explained .that''.Mr Fox, the superannuation fund actuary, would shortly bring a nr <conimotidatic.n before the Minister. The teachers' superannuation was suffering under , an anomaly inasmuch as while the! fund was included in the Civil Service Fund the basis of the super-' animation was different to Hurt, of almost any other fund in the Civil Service. In most schemes the superaunu- 1 ' ation was based upon the three highest consecutive years' of service. Tn the teachers' superannuation, 'however, it was based upon the - three last yeacs. , This,.. he considered, was ■ un3iistj ' since many teachers, on approaching, retiring years, had to be content .with a lower grade school, and suffered in their superannuation' in consequence. The teachers' superannuation scheme was on a sound basis, standing with £21)0,000 to its credit at • present, and would stand bringing into line with other schemes. Mr'Ferguson concluded with reference to the undignified methods by which the teachers' had been compelled, in the'past, 1 to secure all their advancements,' viz.,' by "pulling the strings." He' would welcome the day when a Minister would take so intelligent an

interest in the professions as to initiate desirable roforms himself. The Minister thanked Mr Ferguson for his views, and pointed out' that

teachers' salaries were at presont affected' by attendance of pupils, and and ' their superannuation therefore was indirectly affected by the same cause. He instanced a case of a ■mining district wliero a sudden rush "of pec/fie and their children anight tremendously -increase- the attendance and the teacher's salary. Would it be desirable to base the superannuation on such circuinstances ? However, he j promised- to consider the matter, and was slice- that if Mr Fox recommended the change, then-Mr Allen, who was most sympathetic in matters pertaining (o education and the teachers' welfare, woukl give it his support, if financial circumstances warranted it. Mr Armitago supported Mr Ferguson's views, and mentioned tho case of a Glandeboye teacher, who (owing to the sudden cutting up of land) had

fifty pupils one year, ai-'d yet was unable to secure an assistant because the time limit had not, elapsed.... If oil such occasions the teachers had phenomenal attendances, they had phenomenal work, and deserved to have

that fact considered in their superannuation. IEMUKA. MECHANICS' INSTITUTE. A' deputation consisting of Messrs '. W. Salmon, E. Cooper, E. 'R. Martin, W. Reeves, J. <M. TVomey, ' 'and ,C ri .Ferguson, waited upon' 'the Mhiis : tcr in reference to the condition of the building of the Institute, Messrs Salmon, Martin, and Ferguson spoke on the subject, and solicited from the Government a loan of ±'soo upon the security of the Institute's freehold. The .Mayor (Col. Hayhurst)- invited to speak on the subject, explained to the Minister the proposal to approach Mr Carnegie, -and"said that he thought they should stand on their own'feet; He doubted whether the Government had power to grant a loan for such a purpose, but thought t-Ji> Institute was 'worthy of /the support asked. With better buildings the mcambership could be largely increased. In reply, Mr Hemes said that lie could not say -whether tho Government's powers extended- to such a loan. Possibly it would be necessary to cover such a loan in a washing-up bill. He suggested that the Institute should get their member to work on the subject. Mr Herries -was thanked for his courtesy, and the deputation agreid willingly to take the steps indicated. MAORI WELCOME. At 6.30. the Minister, accompanied by his secretary and Maori interpreter; Oir Bal Neavis). motored to the pa, and a most enjoyable hour was spent; there. The hall was nicely decorated; with mats and..flags, and the Miriis-i tor was accorded an enthusiastic reception, and an equally enthusiastic send-off, including a haka dance, and ati ancient war cry that rang out on! the mclit air like a ghostly shriek! from the past. / ' On the platform 'with the Minister; was Mr Neavis (secretary), 'the Mavor (Col. IJavhurst), the Mayoress I'Mrs Hayhurst), Mr W. Nosworthv, .MVP.., Mr'R. R. Martin, and Mrs Campbell.; The Minister <vas presented with the following : j ' ADDRESS OF WELCOME. '-, !

To the Honourable Mr Hemes, Minister of Native (Affairs ~., Honourable Sir, '■■■■ AVe, the Maoris of Ngautahu and Ngaitimamoe Tribes, assembled here at Arowhenua, Give you greeting, And most hearty welcome ! to this kainga of ours. . And we trust that this your first visit amongst us may bo full of pleasure to you, and that your thort stay ant,ongst us may leave you with kind remembrances of the Ngautaiuw and Ngaitimamoo Tribes. And we trust 'also that, your visit here \yill be of .material benefit to us; AVishing you long life and happitwss. KIA OR A ! ,■■: MAORI DEPUTATION. The pre-arranged Maori deputation, headed by Hoani K. Ivaahu, placed before tho Minister the following requests : (1) That the . Maoris' l vco doctor, having ceased attending the Maoris pending the ro-arrangoment of Department affairs, the Government shoui'.d make good the emission in compliance with tho terms of tho Waitangi treaty. (2) That the railway concessions to

Afaoris' attending tangis be restored, , (3) That the '-Native .Land .Court hold sittings in (4) That a 'jfvat'or be,, proyid-i ed for the Kaika'.' '' '.'--,' ■'.,. ' {,,<

(5) That a bridge be erected at Aw a i'iia, for the convenience of Maoris and Europeans.

(G) That the steps now being taken for the' confiscation of sections 1, 2, and 3, blocfc 111., and section '.)', block 1 in the Wniau block, held iit trust for (landless Maoris, bo stopped. The requests were put to the Minister in most able .nkinner |, v Mr |Vl;e. The .Minister replied sympathetically, explaining that (lie /matter of the doctor would he' attended to at ond:. He cbnld not grant, railway concessions for tairgis. He would represent the matter of the sittings of the Native Land Court in Teniuka to the, judges, and would secure; a report from the Department on tire matter of the water supply. The matter of Ihe bridge he would put before the Minister for Public Works. He was not aware" of any confiscation of Maori lands going on, and would look into the matter, promising that no injustice would bo done to the Maoris.

'At the request of Kahu, short addresses were made by Mr 'Nosworthy, M.P., and the Mavor.

' :'Ria Tikini put before the' Minister her claim to certain lands in Kaiapoi which were given to her elder sister. The title, by some means was taken out in her sister's husband's name.

The sister had died, and' as the "husband was not a member of the Kaiapoi tribe, kia Tikini wished all rest riot ions removed so that (he land ini'dit solely belong to her. 'file Minister urged the elderly Indy to cct Mr V. Parata to bring' the matter forward. Tea was 'then provided by the Maoris, and en'oyed by the visitors. (A full renorl. of this interestiiur fnnetion will appear in our next issue.) lb Tt.\TTAVAY CRO^TNf!. This inornintr at B.'W a.m., (lie Mav>r if'ol. Trayhnrsf) will briny; forward the matter of the railway crossin" afain. }lr "(Terries l»n'-es bv special ("rain sliorllv after 5.30.