"THE FARMER WILL WIN OUT."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 908, 30 August 1910, Page 4

"THE FARMER WILL WIN OUT."

■ . BUT WHEN? ■ .' . • IDy Telogr&pth-Speclal Correspondent.) . Wanganui, ; August 29. Mr. A. G. Bignell,' a well-known resident of Wanganui, who recently took a trip through the King Country, reports that tho Main Trunk lino has been a great factor in opening up and developing the country. Settlement is going ahead, but if only the Government would, give decent roads it would remove a frightful handicap from- the settlers. ■Telephone connection also is badly wanted in case of-sickness and accident. The .roads ho describes as "endless mud," and it is a mystery to him how settlers get their stock and stores in. It costs M per tonto pack stores 20 miles, yet, he says, there is an almost unlimited supply of good limestone metal between Kniti ami Awakino, .which makes good roading, but it is only flung on hero aud there in patches, aud there is no system in our road maintenance. Travelling is, in consequence, very slow. He .instances, tho case of a mob of sheep Which took ten days to travel 40 miles. He himself, with n buggy, good horses, a light-load, and first-class gear, took ten hours to travel 32 miles, and then had to abandon the buggy and.ride on'tho horses. "T.his was a bit of an adventure for us," he says, "but it is an overy-day occurrence with the settlers." The country, Mr. 'Bignoll .thinks, would carry many more settlers, and as yet had only been scratched. Maori lands were a bar. to settlement,' ,bnt lie found tho Natives very lrecn to dispose of their lnude under-the now system, and it was to be hoped that their desire would bo facilitated. Another bar was tho Mokau Estate, along tho Mokau River, which, owing to disputes, had been locked up for 30 yenti, and' he thought if a pity that the Government did not step in and do something with it. Iu time, no doubt, the farmers would win out nil right, and he was filled with admiration at their brave, hopeful spirit. Only roads were wanted to make them prosperous, and it was only fair to givo them so as to end the present heartbreaking struggle through the seas of mud. v