ALONG THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1088, 29 March 1911, Page 13

ALONG THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

• The public.generally has only a hazy ' idea of 'the great tract of country tap. psd by the Main Trunk railway, linn of "the North Island. Moro especially is it unfamiliar with thatvportion lying bat ween 'Marion in the south and Ham" ilton in the north. In the pages ■which follow will be found some details which, though they do little moro . 'than skotchily outline the enormous progress made during the past .few years, yet afford some indication also of the trePossibilities ahead of.this part of tho Dominion.To-day the settlers are . .reaping some part of tho reward which, is their due for the risks' taken and hardships endured in the past. But the .pioneering difficulties are by' no mean's .'overcome. ; Vast areas 'of'.forest lands ha.v.e vet, to-he brought under cul- |

The balance of the block is in heavy bush, which the Government has coilserved for milling purposes. "With the exception of a few parts, this is all very rough country, most suited, perhaps when cleared, for grazing. To tho north of this again the line enters tho Bangipo Waiu-Murimotu Block, an ares comprising many acres, let in three pas toral leases, which extend inland towards Turangarere has been pioneered for several years, and its records contain some of the most splendid incidents of the hardihood of our advanced guard of civilisation. For rnanv years before tho completion of tho roads its settlers struggled and fought against adversity. 'Aaiouru, with similar records (in fact, the simo could be said of most settlements along the line were the facts only known), lies in the itangipo M aiu-Murimotu Block. "Waiouru is ;the junction where the coach road strikes inland "towards Tokaanu.

the cutting of the timber. Mills are •being supplied from there no v.*. Oust north of here is the State Sawmill at or near Kakahi. Hereabouts is on? of the great centres of the sawmill industry, and each year sees the activity increasing, especially towards the /north. The Government are preparing to cut up a. block near Whakapapa, which will" mean the starting of at least four mills there, including those of Messrs. H. Carlson (Dannevirke), Adsett and Bennett (b'eiidingi, and loggers (Raurimn). One of the most important blocks along the line, the Kaitieke, which lies westward towards the Wanganui River, is expected in time to return .'its occupiers good results. The portions which r.a\e been longest settled are already doing so; and, from statements which have come from the Land Board, which two months ago made a comprehensive tour of this district) the sections more

tiv'ation.;. Many miles ; 'o£ road-makinj: have;_y6t to be done and many mor< - miles oiiroad have, yet to be put'into- 1 ■ stato that will render them fit. for traf . fic at all times of the. year. The town: which have sprung into-such active ex Wteiic'e at 'the various vantage point! along (the line of'railway have in mosi cases established records of progress . , which say much for the. energy auc enterprise of-the settlers and business people; but when the-,outlying lands , are opened up and settled and producing at'their full capacity the story ol that .future day should quite -eclipse .' that! which 'we'have to tell on the pre- . sent; occasion. They are go-ahead peo- :. plo aloiig the Main Trunk' line, * and - the- future, though not without its : difficulties, is'.bright for them. ' . . PROGRESS of settlement. ' It-has. been said iu connection with /'.< l^ b " redistribution of Parliamentary scats that the enormous settlement along the Main Trunk line, aAd tho country which it opens, is going to ■ take! - another constituency away from the' South Island. Everyone" of course will be sorry for the South Island, if this: thing really happens, but delighted that this imtnenss area of first-class country is being so rapidly brought into occupation.--' Though the'line has been in operation only a'comparatively brief while, it is wonderful what evidences already there are of progress on every • hand. It is apparent, to the.most caa..ual observer from the railway carriage. Grass,, "between blackened stumps, is springing up, and turning the country gjeen, where before tall bush stood. Hamlets here there have come into existence, and bustling townships now throw out a cheery hail where before were rough workers' shanties and a lodging-house or, two. Perhaps the niost- significant feature ajboufc intermittent townships is that they in themselves would not livo we re\it not fq'r the.support of the settlers outlying tliem. They are the visible evidence of tho pioneering work ,9.y??d those dark fringes of bush, the districts extending back many mires en Those who are familiar with bush tracks and ;bush settlements and pioneering generally can picture to themselves the many homesteads spread apout at frequent, and. infrequent intervals,'that are the feeders to' these thriving townships. Just at present the sawmills; play a. large 7„vrt in tne progress of the district, especially along that portion of the line between Tai-hape'-and faumarunui.' But the dairvfarmor> and tho grazier are following closely in ;tho sawmillers' wake. - Mud? of tno country is being reserved bv tho Government for timber leases anil a good deal of it is still Native reserve though gradually it is coming into oc' cupation. '

North of Taihape. A more intelligent idea of the general progress of-settlement can bo obtained perhaps, by • roughly following tho course of the line north from Taihape. -Round about. Taihape itself- tho land is pretty well settled. The sawmills at tJie Kawhatare, aild eastward, and immediately northward'of there, havo long sineo ceased to bo active and have gone further in. _ Nearly. all the Crown land between Taihape ami Mataroa lias been disposed of, and is,-rapidly becoming settled. The rdads, which at one time wero so notoriously bad hero, are gradually, if slowly, boing improved by the acccss tho lino has given to metal. Passing on beyond Matarpa tho railway goes through a belt of Native land, and tho Rukctapauma lilock is traversed. Part of this bloclr lias been let in pastoral Ittisns. for stock grazing. Some of it is in bush, which has just been appraised, i'eside tho Ruket.apnuma is another largo b:ock—tho Makatawa. Some vorv p.vxl ariiis of open land lie here, anil !J:cj are etiii bold under pastoral'lease.

Wanganui United East. ' pass next'through the township of "Waita'ngi Ninia,. skirting' the Rangiwahia Block with its areas »'f' Crown lands. Continuing on .wo enter I the Wanganui United East Block, which was originally cut up when the Government were. initiating the farm homesteads. .These. arc generally about 200 acres each. In.-this block a number of the sections ;have reverted to the Government, through forfeiture and they- . arc being held for the milling bush oh them.. In the Rangitawa Block there aro two thriving townships, which are , kept, alive at present by tho busy saw.mills round about. A little further on Ohakune is reached. .. About Ohakune. . Continuing past Ohakuue, tho line crossed the Mangawheru River. and enters a block of Native land known as Raetihi -1 B. Hereabouts there is excellenfc timber. A largo run of between 2000 3000 acres (Cowie's) has tno reputation of carrying two sheep to the acre, all the year round; and there are said.to be tens of thousands of acres capable, of doing the same. through from Raetihi and Ohakune to the Wanganui River, and on norththrough the Ohura and into tho Kawhia district, there is a great stretch of valuable country'of varying excellence, but for the. most part Veil-adapt-ed tor settlement. Passing through the township of Horopitu, after leaving Ohakune, and for a considerable tance, the country is retained for forest and milline: purposes. Then conies the Gladstone Block, ia which a homestead settlement, known as the Glad- ! stone Settlement, was started 16 or 18 i ■years ago. Almost- all tho sections have reverted. .Settlers, "filled with a ■ uesiic to carve a home for themselves 1 and their families out of the bush, took 1 up sections. They struggled bravely ■ for a time, but lack of roads to enable j them to. get, their produce to market proved'too great an obstacle to bo ' overcome. Even the strongest spirits 1 gave way,-and now the mute evidenco 1 or abandoned homesteads, clearings 1 overgrown, and dilapidated fences, tells a melancholy sequel.

The Waimarino. The A\aimarino is entered, a large tract of country portions of which are covered with the most magnificent hush, the value ot this great tract of forest is dimcu.t to estimate, but the royalties over' tho whole of its area have been MX-mn by '° ne "' rit 7' t0 be worth £8,000,000, or more than the whole cost of the line. About 1000 acres of luisli in the vicinity of the Maketote • ladfict has been reserved for scenery purposes. Inland, towards the moun-' tains, js the immense National Park. The Waimarino Plains havo been variously discussed, and tjieir capacitv and suitability for carrying sheep. Those who are in a position to judge express tho opinion that with tho proper treatment of the land many thousands of sheep can bo carried. Tho greater part of tho plains, however, is 'reserved for a manoeuvring ground for New Zealand's defence forces. North of the plains and to the westward the country lias been disposed of in varying tenures, and almost all that has been taken up in occupied by tho holders. The latest block sold goes back almost to the Wanganui River. South N'aimarino was disposed of last year, and Ruatihi tho -previous year. Dur"'•g the next two months the Government expect to offer over 20,000 acres lying to the north of Ruatihi. Tho areas will range from a few hundred acres to 2000 acres.

The "Unemployed" Clerks, Not very far distant from Oia there tics the black of land which was recently cut up by tho Government when the unemployed problem was acute -The sections—there are about 100 in th--> soitloniojit—were nearly all allotted, the majority of them contain good milling timber and tho occupation is subject- to certain restrictions in regard to

recently taken up will after a * year or two yield the same results. ' '

A STOKY OF FIOGiKS AMI SETTLEMENT.