MINISTER OF LANDS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16722, 24 April 1920, Page 10

MINISTER OF LANDS.

DEPUTATIONS AT INGLEAVOOD. BUSH RESERVE AT NEW PLYMOUTH. Tlie Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister of Lands, received deputations at the Inglewood County Chambers on Friday afternoon. The question of the reservation of a portion of the native bush adjoining the borough of New Plymouth, recently purchased from the estate of the into Mr. Saxton by the Government for soldier .settlement; was brought: forward by a denotation consisting of Air. Jas. Clarke (.Mayor of New Plymouth). Mr. A'. Griffiths (councillor), Mr. F. T. Bellringer (town clerk), Mr. AA T . H. Skirfnor and Mr. S. CL Smith, M.P. They asked that a portion (live acres) at the northern end of the area already set aside as a scenic reserve .should bo kept for the purpose of settlement and some extra land added at the other end where there was the best virgin bus!). The five acres would bo suitable for cutting up into building areas. If the hush at the other end were destroyed it would only ho a matter of time for tho whole of the bush to be spoilt. Tho Minister pointed out that the exchange as outlined to him meant that 17 acres were to be given in exchange •fur five acres. .Ho doubted whether he could do this, in view of the fact that tho land had been purchased for soldier settlement purposes; also, if similar requests from all parts of Now Zealand were complied with, the Land for Settlement Act would be debited with a very large amount, Mr. Smith replied that very few towns of the size of New Plymouth had such a wonderful piece of native bush so close to tho centre of the town. “AVc are not vandals,” Air. Guthrie remarked, but he continued to explain that if this request was granted they would have to go through the process of lifting the reservation for soldier settlement raid declaring the land Crown land and subsequently a scenic reserve. It was late in the day to ask for it to bo set aside, as applicants had already set their eyes on the laud offered and applications were coming in. Mr. Bellringer said they would have liked Air, Guthrie to sec the land. They did not think that having seen it he would think for a moment of putting ' the axe into it. All’. Guthrie: "It is very valuable to the town. Then what is the town prepared to do?” There would not be much difficulty about substituting five acres. In conclusion Air. Guthrie said that it a definite application, accompanied by a plan, was sent to him ho would refer it to the Gomraissiouer of Crown Lands at New Plymouth for a report. If those interested wished to wait upon the commissioner to explain their case further they wore unite at liberty to do so. At present ho could not possibly say he was going to set aside the extra I nd. SCHOOL CHILDREN’S BOARD. Messrs. S. G. Smith, AI.P., and H. Trimble, representing the Taranaki Education Board, asked Air. Guthrie to bring under the notice of the Alinistor of Education and the Government tho matter of increasing and modifying tho conditions of tho allowance made for tho boarding of school children whoso homos were not .sufficiently close to a school to allow them to live at homo while attending a school. An allowance of 5s a week was made, but, Air. Smith said, ho and Air. Trimble had recently come in contact with a number of cases in the AVhangamomoua district where mothers had gone to live with thoir children to the nearest centre and tho allowance had been stopped. Mr. Trimble, in speaking on tire matter, said it did not affect Mr. Guthrie's department because if this attitude of tho Education Department was continued it would be only with difficulty that married men coulfl be induced to go into tho back country. Mr. Guthrie said ho would bring tho arguments ‘that had been advanced before the Alinistor of Education. LNGLEAA T, OOD DISTRICT AIATTERS. Air. A. Corkill brought under tho notice of the Minister two matters affecting tho Inglewood district which he would be pleased to have brought before tile heads of the departments concerned. One was the difficulty being experienced in securing telephone communication, some settlers having applied 18 months ago for connections and being still waiting. The second was the matter of Government assistance towards the upkeep of the main roads in tho Inglewood County which bore heavy,tourist traffic, one lending to Mount Egmont and another to New Plymouth. Twice already the settlers had reinstalled tho roads but of loans, and if they had to do this again the rates on the land would become a rent. Mr. Guthrie agreed to bring the first matter under tho notice of the Postmaster General and the second before tho Tourist Department. Sir. Cameron, representing the settlers on tho Autawa and/Pita Roads, asked tho Alinistor to support an application for a £ for £ .subsidy in connection with a loan of £2500 for metalling. Tho .settlors had bound themselves 1 responsible for tho loan provided the-subsidy was .granted. Air. Guthrie remarked that the policy of tho Public Works Department was to help those who helped themselves, and he promised to bring the matter before the Alinistor of that department.