WESTLAND AND ITS FUTURE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 750, 24 February 1910, Page 10

WESTLAND AND ITS FUTURE.

ANOTHER TAItANAIU. " .The Hon. .1': Mackenzie,' Minister foi Agriculture, has returned from his trip : to the AVesi; . Coast of the .South Island ■. much' impressed with the district's possi'bilities as a. field for small'settlers. The prevalent idea-'that Westland -,is o. good coujitry for minerals and timber, and of . : .very.-little'-.account .for ,'anything else -is, "■ ;'he considers;Mikely-.-to- be. finally dis- . ipersed nivhcn the big ;timnel lsvcompletcd • through- the .Alps.- . Westland has very ..much vthe. .same climate' asi lrnnata—a, iv;'. : -' ? irifle da&'perjpossihlir; " though:: the: point' ... :-'is -soKiotiitiesr-disputed :by;, persons. who • havo lived; in both provinces. ■ Tho Alps /iWvriM'.upishar^ '■ ; s,??.tbe - fpolhillstAtid'•iri',the.'.widiS T.iver. : flats

which tliey enclose, there.is nnich good j v land—land-wtich, in' 'Mr. Mackenzie's "'i : ojiiriion,'; has 'nll thc makings/bf'another : -hush lands'in the North Jiland - have -been turned into • first-class. dairying districts, and as they become , . . fully. occupied, . settlers: who: ar#-accus- ' .tomcdvto this.iclass.ot coiintry will beipn ■..to.-think, seriously of -Westland, which "will _ naturally'bear avery. different com-; ?;ijle?isn':'^henlit. ! c'pases 'to dependerit : with the ont?ido world- " ' ■ ■■>

-.In this :connection .it is interesting t i. :. note :tliat Nelson.'has,: in the 'last. fcn .-years, had a decided eye-opener as tt tho . value of tho.lands ln.thc. Central Buller district; ...This is .mainlv birch bush

, porth. and south at different points from - tho;Coapli road- through to .Westpdrt. ' vlt ,'.WM :generally.j/considered ■ to U of littlo j-K Vfß'ue -for farming: i ,pprpQsesv,: v and'' :i no, Bsrjou's attempt 'was -made' to'. dojhny thing with it W»n A[r r W Elamgan was - . • . Commjssiotier ' of- Crown Lands -...• for, the province somo Tcirs ago, he pmd special attention to th)s part of his dis.tnct,( And.i in •■■■ a. special*. Report* which' ho - forwarded \to headquarters:''shertly before a,d^partmre^,to. new: field's';.inv.Caiiter- '." r 7>: n e . * as,, able' to; state rthat * m .-tiro : • Vaal'^" a Mr years up ,to an-area'.of■ 125.300 ; acc6s in^the Central - Buller 'had ■ been-, leased" to: 225 ■ .selectors.. At the same ■ time -.there-* re- - ntainod, uncurveyed add suitable for si",;? : W^T^PBFPos^oyer^ iMore act-as, : most •of it r of . superior character to that already settled Thi« • •--..•s'.®®' Mtunatedi- .would • maintain over 400 ~ Mlcetors, «nd;.)WOuld, carry: rone and'a^ - the -aCTe -cleared i . ftna surface sown. -.. In the .course 1 of: his "r^, re P ort ", „ Mr - Flanagan re xJ" t RTOWth 0f i falsfits the theorr that , the . atiahtj. of. l&nd rnnv- be graded -bv »m, 0 tinber pro win? hereon" ' nZv.l 0 '" 56 i ho Cent , ral Buller is worth 36 Siw,ns llofr West Coast .- snrpriaiig «ven. those best ncauamM :-Aiready the Wale • H^ ka h M^r "is-tiikiiisr;: av® marked, differer.co : ; to: tbs;Nefe>fi': railway ;fact;.th<&: ?!: to^rtiitheiT'-prddnce saddl<;:2Coo ;f«t*h£h.;'. What (his wayjbe 3udged«oih\ - fdr> th©\ Jn South Westland, from Ross to 'Oka. £® ijs.ra-; lrtr&\'firea?£'6f. ; f ? w .stray diggers' left ■■s;bah , nd ; .,as i -,rehos-;vof the; old -gold-rush jays, practically empty of populafe';«S^Sr':i l !?!fed th^s^n , :th ® mature : tp-J m.tf w-the./nuuuai on thl ;P i '.]■ 'Ana : .on' its' r y ,r„ ma<le,n6;p_roTisi<iti in most cases.for win- . tenng their flccks on lower . pound •: the /: ; ;/ .iesnlts-were, disastrous;whenever:aireally pnter was experienced.' \ :•> ' '.'-The'rh'ers hr.vo been orie.of :the main ■ .•'•'S? TS ' t ? -setllen'ont.. .There; are seven "of : all; .... 1 01 them rise very rapidly., after rain, bein an-.; hour; or two/ riw?^:> by^oV Wktisvtb^ • .; - 0 ' .' ira e s /.-. hpwerer, most-of the : ;niam s,tre.aws?haye:"fen;;.bridgedi.itho\igh' /'. ■? nc, . , ' 1 l <! ®'Mi -a-SMaU bnt sasty" cu&:' ■ .Corner, remains out of,the jiTograniino just at present. Along the loyer reaches of mnst' of the .v.*"® 1 * '.««v 'latsl^i ! rounded by «asy-Tism.s hill, and ,it is - ; . 'here tb^_-sct # :leh3^nt ; iE'! place Thirh .miles,6dd South of Eos-, , ,v wnat' soj lon?' rtgo to be a terra ; ; *.. ignpta,,. there i.now' stands .'.a; cheese .. fac-. Tory, whose produce, Mr Mackenzie says,;:has been.;topuine:th«v raa rket';"*s ■ ; v '- S ''' toT®.'' forc 'g o westland is a province which has yet !?• on ) e< • - °wn. --At present,-, par--'.•ii'^culan.ffini'itSiSonthern^'poHi^ns.^iris ':' • and r ono>hiph is - ; ;.'- ;w€ll\ ;meii whb' have v -an'-«ye, t<j" ! tlie^*futTurip^:^vX:/':.- \;L v .'■•'.••