A MINISTERIAL VISIT.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 415, 11 February 1890, Page 2

A MINISTERIAL VISIT.

Through the persistent energy of Mr W. L. Rees this district will shortly be favored with an official visit by, probably; two Ministers of the Crown, If Sir Harry Atkinson’s health permits him to attend to the arduous duties of his office the Hon. Mt Mltchelson and the Hon, Mr Richardson will together visit the district, but in case of the continued indisposition of the Premier Mr Richardson will remain in Wellington, while Mr Mitehelson alone will represent the Ministry. The party go first to the Wairoa, where a big meeting will be held and an endeavor made to come to some arrangements by which the Paeroa block—now lying waste—may be cut up and settled. If this can be achieved, and there appears no reason why it should not be, it will be a great boon to the Wairoa, ensuring a healthy and steady progress in place of complete stagnation—a condition of things from which there is no hope of relief while matters are allowed to drift on as they are doing at present, Anything that increases the progress of Wairoa must re-act to the advantage of the northern portion of the

coast, and if only for our own sake we wish that the Wairoa people may be fully benefited by the Ministerial visit.

The party then come overland to Gisborne. They will be in Gisborne, it is believed, within a fortnight from to-day, thus allowing our leading public men ample time to be fully prepared for the occasion. It is so seldom that a Minister visits the district that until one is seen here in person, many people will not be convinced that it is possible for such a novel thing to be brought to pass. Occasionally we have had one pounce in upon us from off a passing steamer, only to vanish again in the same mysterious way before the citizens had been able to realise that such an honor had been paid to us, This has had at least one advantage—it has enabled us to feel that a member of the Cabinet has condescended to take a glance at our main street, while it has perhaps been sufficient to assure the Ministry that the district has been well treated.

On this occasion they come ostensibly for the purpose of inspecting the Land Company’s blocks, with a view of taking them over and cutting them up for settlement. That alone is a matter of the greatest importance to the East Coast, and in regard to this matter the settlers should drop all party feeling and work for the common good. Complaints are made about the heavy burden of rates, and it is no wonder that the pinch is keenly felt when we see some of the best lands in the district locked up and not available to that class which makes a district prosperous. Sir George Whit more and a couple of others have virtually got possession of the East Coasfrom a few miles beyond Gisborne up-t wards as far as the East Cape, and if he succeeds in getting his Separation Bill through next session he will virtually be monarch of that vast area of beautiful land comprising the Waiapu riding—a country so fertile that it is capable of supporting an enormous population. The land might almost as well be tied up for all ths benefit that is gained from it except by the few people who are lords over the country referred to. We want not only to see the Pakowbai and Paremata blocks thrown open for settlement, but that <! settlement ” shall be genuine. The settler# in the comparatively small district of Waimata, we believe, can claim to have within a few years done more fqr the benefit of Poverty Bay than has been done for it by all the sheep runs in the northern portion of the Coast. But there are many other questions to which the attention of the Ministers ought to be referred, and if the opportunity is not taken to make the Ministers cognisant of at least the more immediate wants of the district our public men will signally tail in their duty to those whom they represent. It would be almost as well to do nothing as leave things to the last moment. It is hardly necessary here to make reference to special subjects, but as the Harbor Board meets to-night it may be as well to point out the advisableness of at once selecting a Committee to be prepared to interview Ministers op the question of the sinking fund. The County Council meets shortly, and it, too, has plenty of material to work upon, while the Borough Council has also many things requiring its attention. The Scriptural advice of “ Ask and ye shall receive,” would hardly be an appropriate quotation, but we may rest assured that if we neglect our own immediate interests they will stand a very good chance of never being attended to.