THE MINISTER FOR LANDS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 11974, 18 September 1906, Page 3

THE MINISTER FOR LANDS.

Bpeech at Shannon.

(Per United Press Association).

WELLINGTON, September 18. Speaking at a banquet to Mr John Stevene, M.H.R., at Shannon, the Hon. R. McNab said the Ministry was fletermined it should never happen again that there should bo a man in the State who would put himself in an early grave simply to eerve New Zealand. The present Ministry was resolved that the load should be equally distributed amongst the members comprising the Cabinet. Speaking of agriculture, he said, the Government intended to go into the whole question of experimental stations, and arrange them according to sotno proper classification. Referring to the flax industry, he believed that when we got a proper start, and properly treated it, it would be one of the greatest industries not only of New Zealand, but in the Southern Hemisphere. He discussed the land proposals at length, and declared they would play an important part in the settlement of the State. The people were determined to have tho lands settled, and he thought the time was rapidly going when people would care to ride in trains and see large properties with no settlement. Settlement would induce and promote traffic along tho railway lines, and they would not require to expend so much money on roads and bridges as was necessitated by opening up remote lands, and altogether the settlement of these areas would bo more productive than by going into the back blocks. Any Government would have been compelled to face the problem of providing land out of large privat? estates to meet the demand for freehold. There was "bound to be a row" when that question was touched on, but nearly all the great problems had now reached such an acute stage that any Government which faced them was "bound tm have ft row." Taking that view of things, the Government thought it advisable to face the whole lot at once, and "one big row would do for the lot." Mr Stevens declared himself a freeholder, with limitation of area.

Replying to a depuation which asked for a vote of £5000 in the way of a bonus for the first 500 -tons of phormium tenax of G.P.A. quality, grown under cultivation, the Minister said the Government was not in a position to grant bonuses for flaxgrowing. The Government knew nothing as to the best varieties, etc., and the only research in flax had been done at Canterbury College. If they had asked him to spend £5000 in learning what was to be learned, he was with them up to the hilt. The Government were arranging for research in the flax industry, by which it was hoped to introduce a better method of treatment of Are, and also to utilise the bye products.