MINISTERIAL VISITORS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12906, 21 February 1906, Page 6

MINISTERIAL VISITORS.

THE PREMIER AND* HOS. C. H MILLS. '

The Premier and the Hon.. G. H. Mills', Minister ior Customs, arrived ia Timaru yesterday moming. The Premier's visit was something less than a flying one. They came on the Government steamer Tutanekei from Oamaru r having left there at. 4 a.m., and arriving, here at 8-. o'clock* when she was at once berthed. A party cor.sisting of His- Worship the Mayor.'(Mr J. Craigie)j Councillor Gunn, tJjfe town clerk (Mr D. Virtue), the secretary-of the Harbour Board (Mr W. J. Bard'siey),. and. Mr W. Evans went on board short-iy after the vessel arrived, but- found the Premier was still sleeping after his long day?s,work at Oamaru and Ngapasa. He had. rain, do-wn from Lytteltcn to Oamaru in the Tutanekei on Monday, to- attend a banquet at Ngapara to the Hon. T. Y.--Duncan, and embarking only -when the yacht." left r at 4 a.m., had only a brief rest'befora he had to land here. The Hen. Mr Mills-was however "on deck," and conversed with the party till the Premier appeared. Tha meeting, was quite unofficial and unconventional. ;The Premier spoke -with evident pleasure of his visit to Ngapara, and of the. cordiality of tie reception given him. there,. especially commenting, on the distance' that some of those present at the Ngapara. banquet had travelled .to-, meet him— (some ; of them had come iehb Naseby and St. Bathans). A couple of passenger cars were run down the wharf alongside the steamer, and the Premier .entrained straight; from the steamer's gangway—an example which it is. tor i dreds of steamer passengers within "a not i distant future.- The Premier had nac time t& stay in Timaru as fcethad an engagement at Ashburton to open thenew HigH School there, and at half past 10 he left fao't&e plains town by a special train. The Hon. G. H. Mills, Commissioner of 'Trade and Customs and Minister in Charge of the ; Land Valuation: Departmesfr; and ! his private secretary, Mr Crowe, jreaaaawd !£u,Timaxu. During the.-morning Mr Bards,ley showed Mr Mills- round the:: Karbo-ur, took him some way along the extension, and gave him some information about the past history, present position, and'pßospeets of the harbour. In the afternoon Mr Mills and his secretary took a motor ear and ran out as far. as Pleasant Point,, retnraaing by the Point-Arowfienua and main' north roads. They, are staying- at the- Grosvenor. Hotel, and in-the eyenihg they spent a few hours with Mr' W_ Evans at his. residence.

To-day.Mr Mills-remains-.in Tjrnarn, unless (as he may do) he/visits: IFairlw by motor car, there being no, train; ant to-day. Tbas evening Sir W.. J'.. Steward -wDI arrive ; from- < Ashburtpn. and he: accompany ithe Minister, to Waimate- by tr)& first train itoTinorrow moraing. Sir William has arranged for a deputation of "Wil'owbridge . freeholders to meet Mr Mills at the County I Council Chambers at 10 ajm, to discuss certain aspects-of the land valuations in their, district; after which the Minister will visit -the public institutions oi Waimate: The Minister, infermed a "Herald" Te- | presentative that he is staying here for the purpose of investigating any complaints that any one may have to make regarding the conduct of the business of either of his Departments, and he will be glad to see any one on the subjects _ at his hotel, this evening if he does go to Fairiie. In the course of conversation on the subject Mr Mills spoke quite emphatically of the desire of the Department; that the valuations should be absolutely fair and impartial. The valuers, he pointed out, are annual officers, with

no interest to bias them. one way or other in making-their'valiiatioiis.-~A great many of the complaints, too, are double-edged, cancel themselves; valuations are said to be too high, for one purpose, not high enough for another purpose. In many icases the complainants have no ground for igrumbling. so' far as the Government land :sax is concerned, as their exemptions saves them from the tax, or makes it no serious burden. They complain then of the local rates, but these are for local purposes, and their amount subject to local control. The valuers receive but one kind of in-, struction, and that is to find the fair market value of each property, and the valuers are selected from men of experience and commonsense, "who may be trusted to do their duty honestly. However, he would be glad' to listen to what any complainants had to say, and would carefully consider their representations. Mr Mills was much pleased with I lie country between Oamaru and -Ngapnra, .which* he had not seen before his visit of Monday. It is now looking extremely well. The farmers complain of having had a great deal too much rain, but one consequence of this is that the pastures are full of luxuriant feed. From a scenic point of view that locality is very pleas-" ing, in a quiet way, with its long slopes of downs, dotted with plantations. MiMills was also pleased with what he saw along his motor car run yesterday, though a' combination of strong wind and dusty roads made the ride not altogether a delight to the eyes. It is to be hoped that he will have a fine calm day today to tempt him to explore the country inland to Fairlie, which would give him an opportunity of seeing something of the Rosewill, Eakitairi, Chamberlain, Albury and Punavoa settlements, with the little Puhaka hamlet on the way.