A FLOURISHING DISTRICT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1810, 24 July 1913, Page 11

A FLOURISHING DISTRICT.

FREEHOLD V. LEASEHOLD. A jUaxwelltown settler writ 63 as follows:—I may say that as far as we are concerned in this district we are in a flourishing condition. I.—Our schools are training the children up to the life on the farm. 2.—Wanganui being our chief market, rre get a very good price for our products, though not as high as Auckland and Wellington.

3 and I—The farmers in this district receive from the roads, postal, and railway sen-ices vary satisfactory results, although I might say that the New Ply-mouth-Wellington express_ train would bo a great convenience if it was to stop and let passengers off at Kai Iwi. It will pick them up, but won't stop to let them off. Eor instance, I can go to Feilding in about 3 hours, and it takes me over 5 hours to get home, because I have to wait in Aramolio for a slow train north. The telephone service is not what it might be. Wo cannot get a bureau here, or several farmers would have the telephono put on if they could. Something stands in, the road. I don't know what it exactly is. 5 and G.—The Department of Agriculture and tho A. and P. shows are a great benefit to the place. B.—l think the renters of farms in. this district are making a satisfactory living. There are not many about here. There are not many farms, but what are not freehold in Alaxwelltown (of courso I will let the surrounding districts speak for themselves), but you can always pick ono when you see it on its appearance. The freehold is a boon in that respect to the country. When a man has a freehold, he will look after it, and keep _ the weeds down, and land manured, which is good for tho country, whereas on the leasehold a man will take out all he can and lot weeds grow, and tho incoming tenant finds it in a terrible mess. It takes years to recover. The Maoris are holding altogether too much land along this coast. 9.—Farm labour is scarce, and tho wages are too high—ls. Gd. in tho harvest for casual labourers. The labourers are in a very good position, but they are a class of people that are never satisfied. They have only got themselves to blame for the cost of living. They aro never satisfied unless they are rigged up in a white shirt and tailor-made suit, and going off to. the races or play.

11.—The most important thing that would benefit the district would be the subdivision of a block of 5000 acres of land, known as Marahau. I am not a Socialist, and I don't begrudge the owner his 5000 acres—l would have as much and more myself if I could—but all the Eanio it ia not good for the district. Then again there is the Ivai Iwi station, the lease of which expires in November. It belongs to the Maoris, and tho Government should see that none of tho big landholders should grab any. It has often struck me that the country would benefit greatly if the Government could see its way to run a light railway (about threo miles in length) along the Okehu Stream, into a branch gully, where millions of yards of shell-rock are lying idle. The rock in question wouldnt take much quarrying, and it is a downward grade right to tho railway line. It would join the railway line (New Plymouth-Welling-ton) just a little below Okehu. Thero would not be much farming to do, with the exception of a bridge or two, and the cost would not be great. The rock makes a capital road, couldn't bo better.