NORTH ISLAND M.P'S TOUR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1664, 3 February 1913, Page 4

NORTH ISLAND M.P'S TOUR.

' IMPRESSED JVITH SOUTHLAND. ■■■i . . (By Tolcstraph.—Press Associatl m.) 1' \ ' Invercargill, February 2. The group of touring North Island: members of Parliament; were met on Friday afternoon at Tapanui by prominent Southianders, and have since been oil motor tours through tho province. On Saturday they left Gore in the morning, and visited the Mataura,: Wyndlia'm, and Fortroso districts,' arriving in Invercargill . in the evening/ To-day they motored out • to tho western district, in tho vicinity of tho Waiau River. To-morrow they continiio their tour towards Lumsden, and will return to join the northern'ex- • press at.Gore. , , Members express themselves as favour- 1 ably'impressed with the quality of rural Southland, arid astonished at tho- enormous area of land suitablo for cultivation. DUNEDIN'S HINTERLAND. (By Telegraph.-Preaß Assoeiatidii.) Christchurch; February 3. ' Tho Hon. W. Fraser, Minister for I'ub* lie Works, in tho course of an interview with a "Press", representative, remarked .that somp of those included in the parly •-. of North Island members of Parliament who recently wont over the route of tho :■ Otago Central railway had n6vcr Leon in Otago beforo, and somo had never been ■in the South. Island. ' ' '. "What they saw was quito a revelation to therri,". continued tho Minister, "l>o-' : oauso th.oy had heard opinion of the conntry that differed from what they actually saw. With tho capabilities of tho country whlcjij thoy, l pft6heil through before tlifcy : reached Duncdin"(from a fanning point of viow) thoy were much impressed, and, later, , on, I hey similarly impressed with tho potentialities of the country 6er'ved by,the Otago Central line. Thty .. learned one tiling viz,, that the Central' Otago ■country', does not consist of a gorgo from the Taieri to Pembroke, and, iron), opinions expressed by moiubers of tho party at banquets and other social 1 attentions tendered them, it appeared that the'y ■ wore astonished at the potentialities of • tho district, which wa9 quito different from what had been' reported to them. They wero' also niueh struck with tho • class of land in Hawea Flat and other places." • . . i