The Thames Star. Resurrexi TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1901. MINISTERIAL VISIT.

Thames Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9879, 26 February 1901, Page 2

The Thames Star. Resurrexi TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1901. MINISTERIAL VISIT.

The report which appears in another column of the trip of the Hon. Mr Duncan, the Minister of Lands, to the Piako, was at least a pleasant one; the weather was propitious, and the party well selected, and well provided for by the County Council The impression is general that the Minister of LaDds 'ooks favourably on the proposal to open the locality for close settlement. Ministers of the Crown are chary of openly expressing their opinions on departmental business; we should add that some Ministers are,, and Mr Duncan is one of them. He has, however, the sterling virtue of making up'his mind on matters coming before him, and once having done so, carrying out his intentions "without delay or vacillation. The first obstacle in getting the Piako lands ready for ths market is to secure a native block of 9000 acres and that such will be done at an early "date we have every reason to state The general impression was chat draining the Piako swamp, as it was termed, was a great undertaking, but, like other matters in this world, when earnestly taken in ,hand, the difficulties disappear, and a ready way is discovered to secure the desired end. The block is not a swamp, in.the "ordinary sense, but is better described as marsh land Centuries ago, where the marsh land now- is, the Piako river ran The river got turned, and in time., the banks being low, at flopd time the water covered the old bed of the river, deposited the alluvial matter held by the water, as it does every year by the Nile in Egypt, and with the fall i» the level of the river, the, water found its way back into the new water course, leaving .bohind the soil Thus, in time, the level was raised, and tlie niavsh land of to-day was formed. Once this laud is drained it will prove rich pasture land,—somje fl f tjje yepy bwt ii) tfyis ortiw adjoining dwtrlcM

It; is estimated that 20 to 25s per acre will more than cover all the preliminary costs, so that the sum added to the original cost of the land, the upset price cannot be very high. We can only trust that our anticipa-> tions may be realised within a reasonable time,., and if so the visit of the Hon Mr Duncan will be long remembered in the district, and his name be added to the list of the benefactors of the Thames