MR. McNAB’S TOUR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2097, 25 January 1908, Page 2

MR. McNAB’S TOUR.

THE MINISTER VISITS MOTU AND IS BANQUETTE!) AT OPOTIKI.

ACKNOAVLKDGES CLAIMS OF EAST COAST RAILWAY.

(Special to Times.) OPOTIKI, Jan. 24. The Hon. R. AlcNab -arrived at Alotu on Thursday evening. At a public meeting hold during the evening, several deputations of settlers la-d requests before the Minister. The completion or the Pukihiri road to Opotiki, was strongly urged, tho object being -to bring the settlement closer to medical help. At present it -is 10 hours' ride from Gisborne, and 1 the new road would bring it within six hours of Opotiki. As a stock track also, it would he. invaluable. The railway from Gisborne to Alotu was also urged. Mr. Herrins sent an apology for his inability to accompany Mr. AlcNab through his electorate. In making this apology, Air. J. B. (Jew, the chairman of the Opotiki Council, said there had not been nearly so much intercourse as there should- have been between the Poverty Bay and Bay of Plenty districts, and the Pakihi road was worthy of very Careful attention. Mr. C. 11. Bridge, the chairman, said that a great deal had already been spent on the re id, but until the final fourteen miles was , completed there wis no communication. He mentioned that the settlers of Alotu

had formed a Co-operative Savoyards I Compan\. and were now building the 1 \aids, about half a mile from the town, and ho urged-the extension of tlie survey of the Gishorne-Motu railway, so that settlors would know exactly where it would go. In his reply, Air. AlcNab said that railway facilities Were -really the weak feature of Poverty Bay. it was simply astonishing to him that a d'’strict with such prospects, and with capabilities already tin operation, should have been satisfied, to remain so long without railway communication with other parts of the Dominion. A voice: “Wo are not satisfied, though.” Air. AlcNab produced a laugh by rejoining that if there had been more Scotchmen in Poverty Bay they would have had more railways. From the fact -that they had sat quietly down for so Jong without this very necessary link, lie concluded they belonged chiefly to other nationalities. When -they had asked for a dairy grader for -Gisborne, he saw at once that there would have to be -a great change in the way of improved communication, as at present Gisborne butter had to go to Auckland or Wel.ington. Then -again three-fourtlis

of the farmers of Poverty Bay were at a great disadvantage in being unable to send their stock from the farm to Gisborne in first-class condition. As _ fcT the Gisborne-Aioui railway, which would eventually go through to Opotiki. they were now spending on the Alain Trunk line alone, as much as twelve years ago, they were spending on all- railway constructions. A large sum of monay would be lying idle until the railheads met, which he was pleased to say would take place by the end of his year. Then this annual expenditure of, say, a quarter of a milion, would be liberated from other works. He hail seen -almost all the lines that were now under construction, and from what he had seen of :he Poverty -Bay district he had no hesitation in expressing his own opinion, •although he had not consulted his colleagues, that when once Auckland and Wellington were connected, lu: knew of no part of New Zealand whose requirements and demands, in the matter of railways, could be put in the same street as Poverty Bay, anil its railway communication with Auckland and Wellington. (Loud applause.) The policy of repurchasing estates for settlement, when the Government already owned a large area of land, had been criticised, but in bis opinion it was the proper tiling to acquire largo estates close to

i a-.iuay communication!, ratlier than to open up land and put settlers on it in the remote back blocks, far from railways and roads. The destruction of the standing bush before it could be mil-led was a result of this method of settlement. .Personally lie believed the railway should precede settlement, -and this meant that they would have to carrv out the present policy of compulsorily acquiring large estates -in tlie open country for closer settlement. It would, be the ideal form of settlement for New Zealand, -if the Minister had, comparatively speaking, unlimited power in 'this direction, leaving the back blocks to be settled' at some future time. Settlement would then radiate from -all -the large centres of population. As for the -route of the Gisborne-Alotu railway, he advised the settlers not to risk delating the work by disagreeing over the route, when it was once selected. In -a later speech Mr. AlcNab .suggested tlie formation of a district league to bring the .needs of Poverty Bay before the country, that had not'been done sufficiently well in the past. THROUGH TO OPOTIKI. A very strenuous day’s work commenced at 7 o’clock this morning, when Air, AIcN-ab and party, accompanied by a few settlers, started on a 57-mile ride through the hills to Opotiki. Tho route which was followed was what is known as the Gis-borne-Opotiki road, that is to sav, it will be the main road when completed. ■ alt present it is, for more than thirty miles, nothing better than a. good bridle track. The Alinister and party were greatly struck by the magnificent margin of .bush through which the road runs for a, great part of the way. The party had luncheon at- Air. G. Armstrong’s house at Paparoa, and then proceeded towards Opotiki. About 4 o’clock

they were met- at Tj u wha.ro Pukatea bv .a number of vehicles 'from Opotiki, to which they transferred', reaching their destination at G o’clock. The settlers entertained Mr. McNab at a banquet in the evening, at which Mr. J. .B. Gow, chairman of the County Council, presided. Apologies for absence were received from Sir Joseph Ward and Mr. Henries. Mr. H. IC. Ho w in proposing the health of the Ministry, said that there was no other 31 mister 'they would rather have had in Opotiki than Mr. McNab. In his reply Mr. McNab regretted the unavoidable absence of Mr. Carroll and Mr. Herries. He was notone of those politicians who carried tbo animosities of politics beyond the lioor of tlxe House. Mr. Herries was one of the few men who knew how to distinguish between opposition and criticism, and lie was one of the keenest critics that the Government bad ever had. He was not only the leading critic in the House at the present tune, but in the whole history of New Zealand politics, lie believed the Government had been called upon to face few critics like bun—(applause)—and' lie (tile speakor) hid ha<l a good opportunity of ascertaining who were the pigmies and who the giants. (Laughter.) touching on the prospects of the Dominion, lie did not think it would be the case in the future, as it was in the past, that periods of depression followed periods of prosperity, because New Zealand's wealth" was now chiefly gathered from the soil, ill tile shape ol food supplies, and it lias been the endeavor of the Governments during the last decade or two to provide that all the food supplies of Now Zealand should he produced under the best conditions and of tile best possible quality. The demand for wool fluctuated according to fashion, but lie had no fear of the fashions making foodstuffs unpopular, but although so much hid been done during half a generation, they bad now reached a period at which’, if they did not take other steps, they would fall behind other countries. That was why it was necessary to undertake tlio investigation of "silch matters .as the food and water supply of stock and the peculiar conditions of the country. If this was Socialism on the farmers’ part, let him be a Socialist, in fact let him call himself anything, if in carrying out his business lie did it in such a way as to make it profitable. (Hear, hear.) If the Government bv teaching people how to carry out their industries were Socialists, he did not

car© what they called it, for without doubt if the Government did not stop in to do such work, nobody else Mould. (Applause.) To-morrow Mr. McNab will proceed to Rotorua by way of WhakaI tune. The journey will be 'achieved cliiolly by motor car. Sunday will be spent at .Rotorua, and then tho Minister will proceed to Wellington by way of Ruakura and tho Main Trunk line.