GENERAL NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2086, 11 January 1908, Page 6 (Supplement)

GENERAL NEWS.

THE KING COUNTRY

FERTILE LAND AT LOW PRICES. The special commissioner of tho “New Zealand Herald,” in the first of a series of articles published on "Settlement in the King Country,” says:—"This settlement is being procured from tho South, and Aucklanders are missing one of the greatest cliauces in Now Zealand ol securing magnificent land at a nominal figure. It is the men from Taranaki, \\ elliugton, Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay who are pouring into the King Country and securing nearly every section thrown open by the Government, or offered under lease by the Maoris. Why Aucklanders are not taking their part ill this work is difficult to say. Probably they will come in at a later date, and pay the pioneers ol to-day a big premium loi what they could get at bedrock price now. It is no exaggeration to sav that men are securing kind in the King Country to-day for LI and 25s per acre, which, when broken into grass, will be easily worth £lO or more per acre. The limestone hill country stretching southward Item Waingaron, in tho llakiirimutnßanges to Waiturn, will form one of the greatest sheep districts in New Zealand, •and the nunii'roiis great valleys will rival Taranaki’s host dairying hinds. Many people havo the idea that the King Country is rough and broken. It is one of the easiest countries in New Zealand. Most ol the hills, except in the extreme west, have gradual slopes and broad summits, and there is more rolling downs country in it than there is in Canterbury. The area of land in the King Country which can be easily ploughed is immense, and as much of this ploughable country borders the higher ranges, it will come in splendidly as fattening and cropping ground for the purely pastoral areas. At tlio present lime the Waikato is the stockfattening centre lor nearly all tlio .southern part of tho Auckland Province, but if the Waikato farmers imagine that they have a monopoly in this direction, they will make a great mistake, for there is as good turnip country eastward of Otorohanga, Flnngntiki and Te Kuiti as any about Hamilton or Cambridge, and it can be purchased at less than a tenth of most of tho Waikato Hands. The presence of so much arable land in the King Country is one of its most promising features because it-means that instead of having to send stock away as stores, cattle or slieeep can be fattened where they are lived.” “NO-LICENSE” ON THE ORTCTCET FIELD. At a meeting of the New South Wales Cricket Association on the 16th inst official action was taken in connection with the supplying of lreo drinks to the players during the progress of matches. It was stated that in the recent engagement, England v. New South Wales, the players’ thirst amounted to £25, and several members of tho association considered this unreasonable. Mr M. A. Noble, who was present, explained that as far as he knew most of the players wore moderate men, if not absolute teetotallers. It was tlion suggested that all the trouble arose from drinks which wore indiscriminately ordered in the names of players for their “friends.” The association determined, in its own pecuniary interest, to check this sort of thing, and eventually a resolution was passed to tlie effect that drinks, except at- the luncheon and tea adjournments, should only be given to players on tho production of coupons, to be supplied by somo responsible person. Before this was done, however, harrowing tales were told of perspiring cricketers being refused the wherewithal to quench tlieir thirst after arduous exertion in the field, and a pathetic plea was made for at least lemon squash or something “soft” in this connection. However, tho association decided that drinks were in future only to bo had in tho regular way, as provided by the foregoing resolution. Any future failure on the part of Australian players will therefore rightly bo attributed to tlio absence of the solacing soda and the soothing squash.