DEPUTATION TO HON MR. BALLANCE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 7173, 17 September 1886, Page 2

DEPUTATION TO HON MR. BALLANCE.

OPENING UP ROAD 3, TJHCES JDi^Y.

A deputation, consisting of tho following gentlemen, waited on the lion. Mr. Ballunco at the Criterion Flotel this morning : — Nlessra. T. King (chairman of Ul3 Hu-bour Board), J. Elliot (chuirmin or Taranaki County Council), F. A. Carrington, F. P. Corkill (tnoinbeis of thu Elar'oour Board), H. R. Richmond (chairman of Charitable Aid Boml), A C. Fookes, A. Standiah, R. O. Hu?he?, E. Djckrill, J. T. Davis, W. Bowley, aud a number of other town and country residents.

Mr. Sr-ANDisu stated that the deputation wishod to see the Hon. Minister in respect to the opening up of roads in the district of Taranaki to enablo settlers to go on Crown lands now open for silo. A report by Mr] G. F. Robinson, Crown Lvkls Ranger, dealing very fully with this matter, had been forwardod to tho Government. The report stated that £27,000 was necessary for opening up the Crown lands now being surveyed for sale. Mr. Standish- said he understood a vote of £2000 had been obtained by the Government towards this purpose. It would be quite inadequate to do the works which are absolutely needed. On the Junction Road alune an expenditure to the extent of some £5,000 or £6,000 would be necessary to open it up as far as the Waitara river; and to open up tho district roads another sum o£ £2000 would be required. Then the Eltham road wanted completing; and the district roads which had been felled there had, through tho land being left unsold, grown up again, and required to a certain extent to be opened afresh. It was utterly hopeless to expect Bef tiers to go on bueh land whero there were no roads or railways. If a settler made a fence along these uafelled roads it would be destroyed when tho roads were being felled, and again when they were being burned. Either the Government or the local bodies would be responsible to the settlers for the da-nage done. But a greater consideration in this m itter was the advantages that would accrue to the colony by having these lands settled. The New PlymouthFoxton Railway, which was tho feeder of these districts, would have its traffic increasQd, tho customs would benefit by the additional consumers, and the Government would receive money for land which was now lying idle.

The Hon. Mr. Ballanos said he recognised very fully all the remarks Mr. Standish had made as to the necessity of opening up roads in the bush country. That could not bo refuted, and all the advantages which had been Bhown would follow were as clear to the Government as to Hit deputation. He presumed Mr. Standish did not mean that tho Government should spend £27,000 in one year. No doubt tho Government must clear tho roads, and in some form or other allow settlers to visit the sections; ha admitted that responsibility at once; but the great question was how much money could the Government obtain for this purpose. It was quite impossible to appropriate £27,000 for thafpurposo in Taranaki, but as much had been done for this part o£ the colony as it was -possible to do. The total amount for all purposes was exceedingly limited; the Government could not go into the market and borrow millions every year. The disposition o£ the money lender to lend money, and tho capacity o£ tho colony to pay interest, were a bar to that. He himself would have twice the amount of money appro* priated for roads, and less for railways — (hear, hear); but we could not all have our own way, and we must submit to the force of circumstances. The amount voted for Turanaki was £12,000,^ and that would be spent over tho district in various places where it was found most urgent to spend it to allow settlers to get to their lands. Surveys were in advance of tho roads, he would admit, and he was sure that there was a good deal of vrd&te to tho colony in spreading surveys over vast tracts of country. Supposing a block of land is thrown open for settlement, and only onefourth is taken up, while roads are made over the whole, the roads fall into disrepair, and require to be opened afresh. Mr. Standish : But the block I mentioned as being in that condition, that on the ElthaTi road, was open only for special settlement, and not to the general public Mr. Ballance continued that he took great interest in the Eltham block. No doubt if the Eltham road had been made tho sections would have been taken up. That road wa3 now being pushed od, and in the summer he hoped that a vehicle would be able to run from Opunake to the Eltham railway Btation. The Government were doing all they could in the matter. It was purely a question of funds'. It was possible that the surveys shouli not extend over such a vast area of country, but rather that it should ba tried to colonise and make roads as we go along. He would Hko to call attention to Hie Act which gave power to borrow money on advantageous terms. -He should like to emph \sise that remark. He thought tho opportunities to borrow on advantageous terms conferred by th* Local Bo lies Act should be recommended.' Money could be raised at 5 per cent., and tho accrued sinking fund would wipe off the debt in 25 years. He thought this Act ahoul j be availed o£ in this case, for the opening up of the district roads for at the best the Government could only clear the Hues, not make the roads. Tho responsibility must always rest upon the settlers to make the roads after tho lines wero cleared by tho Government. The Government could only open up the lands and allow tho settlers to get into them. Mr. Standisu : If the roads wero made giving access to tho land that would be an important thing.

Mr. Ballance: We do recognise the duty of opening up roads, but the practical work of making thorn rests upon the settlers themselves, I think I have touched on the main points. I should be glad to hear of any practical means of. increasing the funds at our disposal, or of applying them better.

Mr. Swanston detailed some of his experiences, pointing out the necessity of exten ling the Inglewood road. Mb. Fookes : I may hive misunderstood one of the speakers.. I nnderstood Mr. Standish to say that £2,000 had been appropriated for this district ; i understand the Hon. Mr. Ballaaco to say tho amount is £12,000. Hon. Mb. Ballanoe : I Bpeak of tho whole of Taranaki.

Mr Fookes : Is that £12,000 for roada ?

Hon. Mr. Ballance : Roads and bridges. Mr. J. Elliot, Chairman of tho County Council, said that as a member of a public body ho would like to put tho matter from another point of view. Ho would ask: Is it a good spec to open up lines in Tarnnaki where the land is covered with bush ? Ho considered it a splendid speculation. Tho matter should not bo looked at as to tho amount of money spent in the district, but with regard to the income that would accrue to tho Government from it. la opening up our bush lands and getting them occcupied by good Bettlers the Government would really not bo giving money to this district, but Bimply lending it to be repaid with good interest. In Taranaki wherever the inducement q£ good roada was held out occupation immediately took place. He would urge the advisability of starting from some particular points and making good metalled roads through the country. He thought by-roadß of secondary importunceto good metalled miin roads. IJo wus pleased to hear the Hon. Minister remark that he looked upon roads us of more importance th.iv railways, His owj»

experience tausht him that that opinion was enrrect. Perhaps some in the room would disagree with him, but he would recommend that the communication between this district and the main line of railway should be by three lines of road. A branch railway would cost £600,000 ; but ho hid calculated that for less than one quarter of that three first-class metalled roads, 20 miles apart, giving frontage to 430 miles of land, could be constructed. Judging from experience this land would be occupied at once, as su'jh land has always been hitherto. He would, however, strongly urge upon the Hon. Mr. Ballance the necessity of making two imSortant roade. The road known as the unction Road, starting from Inglewood and leading into the country on tho southern side of the Waitara, should bewell made. The other road was from some point between Urenui and Tikorangi to cpen up the Ngatimaru country, which was land of good quality, and would be quickly occupied. He understood that the Survey Department had had the matter in hand. Mr. Fookes suid a practical instance of the rdvantage of opening roads previously to settlement could be pointed to in the Midhirst Special Settlement. That block was taken up by himself at £1 an acre, on deferred payments, and was considered n fair price. One of the conditions imposed was that £2000 should be spent on opening up roads through it. The result was that roads were formed to almost every section on the block — not the usual kind of crooked track 15 feet wide. No difficulty was- experienced in getting 30s. an acre for that land ; in fact, there were more applicants than sections. That showed that spending money on roads really paid best immediately, by getting a better price fur the land, besides the benefit to the customs and the railway by the increase of population. .Mr. Elliot said he had omitted lo reply to one remark of the Iron. Minister with reference to the borrowing Act of last session. He thought the Act was not applicable to a young district If they waited until the ratepayers borrowed to open np Crown land a considerable amount of waiting would ensue. The Act was very well to enable settlers to make their by-roads, but settlers would not incur liabilities on their own sections for the extending of roads into unoccupied country. The Hon. Mr. Ballance thought Mr. Elliot had misunderstood him. He did not lay that the Act of. last session would take the position of the Government, but rather would provide the settlers with district roads after they had got on their land. Mr. Elliot attached too much im portance to the district and too little importance to the main roads. He, himself, attached the utmost importance to the district roads. With regard to the general question, he thoroughly agreed with the speakers that every Bettler placed upon the land was a benefit to the State in every way. It seemed to be a truism. They could not refuse to admit a proposition so clear. The placing of people on the land appeared to him to bo the first function of Government, bat the question was how to do it, and how to raise the necessary funds. They all agreed it was desirable ; it was purely a question of money. In the present temper of the Honse there was no disposition to increase the votes for this purpose. Indeed, he had a hard struggle to get the £60,000 for road purposes all over the country. The Government were trying to make that sum go as far as they could. It was all very well to suggest that spending a large proportion of it here would be a paying speculation ; it was all very well from a Taranaki point of view and a Waitara point of view, especially to open up the Ngatimaru country, but other parts of the colony would not agiee to that, and the other parts of the colony must be considered at the same time — (bear, hear) — because other parts of the country have votes, and know how to use them, and will not dee a large amount appropriated to one part oE the colony. He was anxious to push on settlement in Taranaki, and it could not be said that that was neglected. He thought ihe road from Inglewood was one of the most important in the country, as it would open up the whole of the Waitara valley, but with regard to the other road to Ngatimaru, mentioned by Air. Elliot, he did not take the aame view. It goes over very rough conntry, and he had learned since Thursday that it goes through native lands. Nor would the means at the of the Government allow them to take two roads to open up the fame country at the same time. With regard to Eltham, it was intended to cull for tenders immediately for a five miles section. He assured the deputation that the Government were quite awake to the advantages cf opening up the country, With regard to Mr. Fookes' remarks about enhancing the value of the land he must congratulate Mr. Fookee upon his very economical method. He could not Bay anything more on the subject of roads, except tbat if any one present bad any practical suggestions to make he would be glad to hear tbem, for among so many thero must be ideas not in possession of the department. Mr. Richmond said the gist of the conversation seemed rather to point to the desirability of putting a little higher price on bush land. Mr. Fookes suggested that fundß should be got to make roads by mortgaging new blocks to monetary institutions. He believed the money could be raised in the Colony. Mb. Ballascb : At 4 per cent ? Mb. Fookes believed not, but thought 5s an acre could be raised at 6 per cent, if made a first charge on the land. Mb. Standish urged that Taranaki had a special claim for consideration, insofar tbat it had not received its fair proportion of the public works expenditure. Mb. Ballance replied that he would be pleased indeed to hear Mr. Standish put forward that argument in the House. He thought Taranaki had no right to complain. Ab to Mr. Fookes suggestion, ho tbo Jght the House would not receive it at all favorably. The better way would be to try to influence their members to vote less for railways and more for roads. In the meantime the Government would do the best it could to open up roads and get Bettlers on the Kind.

After re7erting to ironsand matters the deputation withdrew.