"MAGNIFICENT COUNTRY."

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2775, 19 May 1916, Page 6

"MAGNIFICENT COUNTRY."

' VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS OF TARANAKI. ;A' TOURIST'S PARADISE. A magnificent country with prosperous dairy industries, miles of splendid roada. and holiday attractions which surpass any others in New Zealand, sum up, the features of Taranaki as they have impressed Mr. J. Vigor Brown, M.P., of Napier. Mr. Brown has been on an extensive visit to Taranaki, and he was in New Plymouth recently. "Yonr mountain is ft most beautiful place," said Mr. Brown. "I never before realised how pleasant a holiday could be spent there, aud if it was only better known it would become the most popular tourist resort in New Zealand. For a rest there is no place in New Zealand to surpass tho North Egmont Mountain House; I havo been to Alount Cook and all the other holiday resorts in the Domiuiou, but none of them can bo compared with Mount Egmont." Mr. Brown motored from Hawera to Dawson Falls, and then to the North Egmont House b.v way of Stratford and Inglewoocl, ami the, journey enabled him to judge the quality of the Taranaki roads. "I have never seen roads like them," said Mr. Brown. "Wo thought we had good roads in Itawke's Bay, but I havo come to Taranaki to find out what good roads are like. In the trip from Hawera to tho North Egmont House we never had a jolt all the way, aud wo passed over thirty miles of asphalt road. Prior to this I never dreamed of meeting eucli a long stretch of asphalt road in New Zealand."

"Tho whole country in Taranaki is lovely; it is magnificent land," he continued. Sir. Brown said a visitor cou'fl not help being struck with the growth and prosperity of the dairying industry in the province, and the stretches of beautiful country, dotted with homesteads and progressive towns, recalled to liim the picture of Taranaki, as he saw it forty years ago. He referred to the difficulty experienced ill some parts in settling the land, and he said Taranaki seemed to bo the only irovince where this had been done successfully. "You have everything in Taranaki which should snpll prosperity and progress, and yet. while your country is productive- of great wealth, yuir towns, such as New Plymouth, .do not seem to so ahead as they should do.. Ton in this district want to 1»t yourselves be known, and especially do yon want to advertise, your mountain. You want to stir things up, for you have a great industry in the country* and you want to support it by industries in New Plymouth."