MR FISHER ON TOUR

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1675, 15 February 1913, Page 4

MR FISHER ON TOUR

;: . WEST COAST. BXJ'EKIBNCES. ~•■;:■:;! Speaking to a Dominion reporter yew;,, terday of. his recent vibt to the West) Coast,,the Hon. F. Mi ;B. Fisher said j .that ho was met everywhere with the utmost hospitality and enthusiasm and held ir crowded meetings at Bkitika, Kumara, ! Groymouth, Westport, Rwfton, ondKarai j mca,' and a.hurried opon-air mooting ot :-i miners at Seddonvillc, which wa9 6UCCO&SJ '< ful in every.6enso of tlto word. ■■ ■■-■'..-■:! "I am quite certain," < dded Mr. Fißher,' | "that when the Prhno 1 inister visits tha | West Coast ho will reccife a welcome scoj j ond to' none accorded him in any part of ; Now Zealand," . j V'• ■' , ~' ;i At Karamca, Mr. Fisher relates, M.| encountered a typical Instance of tha i hardships endured by hi ck-block settlers. I "I had to ride 72 miles oi horseback from : Seddonvillo to Karamea and back," saidi ;■ the Mi'iisler in telling t) o story. "When .-; : half-way tx>' Karamea oilr party encoun- j. tcrcd • a small band of three women, n, {[ child of three hud n small pony.' Thcsa :, Women' wanted;to' got from Karamca to Westport and ■' had bravely set out to walk tho distance, each taking it iu turns . to hold tho small child on tho pony, Wo were delighted, on arriving at Kartu mca. late that night, to receive a toh> gram, from Westport, saying that they had successfully accomplished tho jouiv : ney without mishap."-' ■■ ■.',', -, "Karamca," the Minister continued, "ie delightfully' situated on : .tho . West Coast, but has ho reasonable", access of any. sort. Thcro.'isli.te. 1 harbour, but :\- it ban only occasionally be wofked. For ,i ,part of the distance on tho inland rents' there is a rough 'cart-track,' so rough, that carts cannot go over it. As a i*. suit tho whole journey to Westport hag to be accomplished on horseback. Tho Knrnmeti Plain as mainly comprised of rich land producing good sheep and cattle - and here, too, a dairying industry is rapidly developing and would develop still more if propor communications could bd established. At the back of the plain stands' Mount Radiant, a,largo area or country rich in minerals, while tens ■ of thousands of acres of surveyed, bilt unoccupied, Crown land are awaiting settle- , nlent. I am sure that many poople-kV sonroh of land would bo satisfied to settle, in tho Karaniea district, could they but see-the. nature of tho country and the prospects that lie ahead: of this 6))londid district. Its inaccessibility has prevented its reputation from spreading as widely. as at ought." • - '