HARDY SETTLERS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1980, 10 February 1914, Page 8

HARDY SETTLERS

' ,■ ■, '.■,♦ " ■■■■ ' HON. W. FRASI3R IN TRE BACK* BLOCKS. •< the journoy wliiciuJie Soft. \V. Praser made last week to Kawhia- and the surrounding district brought hifts into tolicU with some of the- best features in New Zealand back-Woclcs liffc. A great part of the country -which he. traversed Is in a backward state of development so far as Mads and tracks aire concerned.) hot settlors are fairly sumerous, and they ar<j doing a great deal to iftjwovo their .holdings in spite of the hardships , and difficulties of their lot. Speaking to a, PouiKiox'reporter last everting, Mr. Fraser detailed, some of Jiis observations on a trip which ho jnado from kemon Point, an. old mission station 011 Ka.whia, Harbour,- hack iuto the- interior country. En route he met many settlers, sopw of whom had journeyed , twenty or thirty Mites' to interview him ( There is some very good land, 'Mr, Froser stated, to tho southward of Eawhia Harbour, bvjt not very much lias been dono with it yet. Fern and biisli are promitserit do* tails in the scinery, but a great deal of tile bush .has been felted. ■ tho country is b.rofcen and fofigii, but somo dairy" ing is carried- on, Ihfe construction of roads wQI cost .a great deal, and they arc urgently rctpjiral.. ptqsenco of xmoeou.pied Natrvc lands constitutes .a soripus harrier to-progress. 3Pra.ctically all tiro land roiutd the fringe Of Kawhia Harbour is owicd fry Maoris, and nest to nothing is being done with it. there a-pp one or two places whore the Nativcn aro working. tlfeir. fafJ-ris., but.n great proportion'of tlie Maori }.aiid is iji its natural state. llioto is a largo afea of country to bo opened up with.roads, and tho iMiwis-te'r was able to cenvey some liopo to the ■settlers wlio.h'a'ye fought a- hard battle for years past and t-o assure them that their mofft pj'-essing and iinmediato reqnirCmoßts would receive eai-ly att«h-ti-oit. Such roads as now exist in iiany parts cf tho district ara rerv imperfect, and some of them aro mere tracks. Mr. Frnser states ihat ho found ilie Bcttlers very patient a-iid reasonablo-, considefiing tho position they are in. Thdy did Hot expect tapossibiiities, and wero content with his assurance that bo would do everything bo ppssibly could to pash iihead the development works which tjio district so badly ii.eetls. Although they endure many hardships , Aiid live in isolatioii, tho settlers round about Kawhia and in tho places further south which the Minister.visited aro. a liappy and, healthy lot of poplo, They lire- coil' tcntedlv and iaiso, families and look forward to a time vvheii better facilities for.travel will bring them within reach of some of tho; comforts and plcastircs from which they are' now cut off.