THROUGH SOUTH WESTLAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 October 1919, Page 3

THROUGH SOUTH WESTLAND.

(By J. O’Brien, Labour Candidate for Westland.) As Labour men do not do things by halves, the Hokitika Labour Party decided that Mr W. Warren and myself ■should visit South Westland to its furthest point before commencing my campaign. So on Tuesday, October 7, we left Ross 'bright and early for the trip South. We decided on the outward journey rt use our eyes and ears only, and to carefully study the needs of the country as we passed through' it. A commercial acquaintance (warned us against praising the scenery for said he, the farmers and sawmillers all want to de-

stroy it. Having had some experience of scraping part of the landscape from my clothes after a day’s work in the bush, I could easily sympathise with the settlers, anyhow scenery won’t grow grass or fatten cattle 1 We had heard many stories of lives lost, in the Southern rivers, and our friends counselled us to be very carefu .

somehow these warnings made us rather nervous, and we decided that if a river was at all doubtful we would not attempt to cross it. The nst tiling that caused us to doubt the Southern people, was the age of our horse. We Were assured at Boss that he was seven years old. By the time we reached Wataroa he wa s seventeen. At Okarito Forks he had dropped hack to twelve. After that we came to the conclusion that it was more laziness than old ago that was wrong with that horse. Bill got out and cut a “supple jack.” So far we had had fine weather but after leaving the Forks, the rain came down jn earnest, and it was with great relief, when, wet through, we sighted the Glacier Hotel. As is custoraary* we became one of tlie big family at the hotel. No strangers or enemies ever stop there. It was still raining heavily and the Waiho river was unfordable, so we were forced to camp for the day. A trip to the glacier, a taking of the wrong road, two hours wandering on the ice with a. considerable difficulty in getting off it where we wanted to, saw us arriving back at the hotel in time to prevent Mr Alex Graham, and Messrs Hargreaves and McCormick from setting out in search of us. For myself I made a mental resolution, that in future, in new country ab any rate, I would get out of the bush before dark.

Our journey South from Waiho was to be on horseback. And it was here our Teal troubles commenced. It was twenty years since I had done any riding; and Bill to say the least of it, was no Centaur. We rapidly became saddle sore and Bill’s pants had a nasty habit of climbing up his legs. A night’s rest at Weheka and we pushed on to Maintain. Overtaken by Mr J...Condon we decided to travel with, him, that was, if we could keep up ; a s we had arrived at the stage where walking and leading the horse were the least painful means of progress. By the time wo arrived at Mr Condon’s homestead we were almost too stiff to get down from the horses. Before going to bed, Bill told me of his sore places. Ho was like Mark Twain’s dog, “he had more sore places than sound ones.” However he said it was all for th P Labour cause, and. he stood it heroically.

The failure to procure horses prevcntd us from completing the trip' to Ikuni and after a day’s rest at/Mabiahi we turned homeward. At Bruce lav we were told that, the only mehns he settlers had of getting their goods anded from the ships was by surf boat. L nyone with any practical experience nows what that means. This hardship ould be overcome by an inexpensive oad and jetty. Two rivers here badly ieed bridging—The M&liitahi ie Makawhio. In fact, now that heavy rain had fallen every stream we canto to, cried aloud for some safer means of crossing. At .'W'eheka we renewed acquaintances, and it was hero that I gave my first political address. I was given a good hearing, and for the first time a Labour candidate spoke in South Westland. Leaving the horses we walked the seventeen miles back to Wailio. But haying to take off our boots and pants to ford some of the ice-cold creeks was no joke At Waikukupa river we examined a wheel-traffic bridge that our wise Public Works Department had erected some twelve years ago of sappy timber. It is now rotten, and has never yet had a wheel on it, for the simple reason that the road on the far side is but a bridle track, on the Waiho side, tlio rivers prevented wheel traffic. It seemed to us that our P.W.D. were spending money where it would do the least good. Seventeen miles over mountainous roads and icy creeks found u s -beseeching a cup of tea at Mr Gibbs’ house which was very kindly supplied. At Waiho wo had a good meeting and got what every labour man delights in, a keen question or two. It was noticeable hero that while the Government ment had built two suspension bridges for the tourists no attempt had meen made, to bridge the Waiho (a positively dangerous river), for the settlers. From Waiho to Okarito we passed some of the easiest harnessed rivers for tho generation of electricity that I have yet seen. There is no need for the West Coast to be short of. fertilizers. Half the money spent in purchasing Nauru would lay down electric plant to produce nitrates from tho air that would supply our needs for all time. Okarito has a past. In the old days it had a great population. Hero and thero we could still 9eo clearer patches, moss covered fruit trees, and ruined chimneys, that gave silent evidence of tho early settlers attempts to carve a home out of the wilderness, Okarito'g greatest need is a harbour. Tho present harbour has been workable for a considerable time for boats of light draught. But with a couple, of small tnining walls; and a straightening land (confining bf the lagoon tidal waters, the channel could ho deepened sufficient to allow the smaller of our Coastal boats to enter wth safety. I was assured that some Hokitika merchants oppose the spending of any money on the harbour for fear that trade- would be diverted from them. (Tho facts are quite opposite to this. Ed. G.) Thero is an attempt made on behalf of a timber combine to get possession of the timber areas around Okarito. The synlicate is trying, I believe, to work up to

a Government grant to enable them to complete tbe harbour. But surely if it will pay a private company to do the work, it will also pay the Government to do it. From Okarito to Wataroa the journey was rather uneventful, but at the Forks wo had an opportunity of examining the bridge. Thi s bridge was built of local timber (heart of red totara and yellow pine), has been standing for the last twenty-five years. It looks good for another twenty-five, and it gives the lie direct to the detractors of our local timber and .proves conclusively that there is no need to wait for Australian timber to bridge our rivers. Coming through Wataroa an ing sight was the battle ground of two triers. The fight '• to prevent the debris from the mountain at the back

from washing over thpir land. Tho facts, so I was informed, are these. A slip occurred from the mountain, bring ing down thousands of tons of stone and gravel. In flood time a stream of water brings this down and deposits it over the land. The first farmer built a breastwork of ferns thereby turning tbo gravel on to his neighbour’s land, Tho neighbours retaliated by building a breastwork of stakes and bushes to keep it off. This turned it back again to the first farmer. First onei and then the other increased their breast-work un

til at last they had raised the bed of the small stream several feet above where it used to be. As there are yet thousands of tons to come down, the local engineers are at their wits end to know what to do with the problem. Meanwhile the battle goes on. It pleased us to note that the smaller farmer assisted by tlie natural dip of the country, is getting the best of it. Some of the streams at Wataroa have filled up in the centre with large stones and gravel and thus the water is turned into, and is washing away tho land on tho sides. It is a great pity to see this happen as it could he prevented by a series of groins confining the flood waters fo the centre of the streams. A few willows planted along the banks , would also he a benefit. We had a splendid meeting at Wataroa and. had one question asked, “did I think that the conscientious objectors were cowards.” I gave some of Mark Brigs experiences, and believe that ;I convinced some neople that there were yet men in the world who would suffer imprisonment, death, or even continuous tor_ tore, for conscience sake. ■We met a comrade here who hacl

kept himself well abreast of the times by reading and studying. So far ahead of some of his neighbours is he, that he is looked upon as something of a crank. Nevet mind comrade, the glimmer of sweet reason will yet penetrate the thickest skull.

Heavy rain during the night made us postpone our departure until after dinner Even then the flood waters hacl combed out the tracks through tho rivers and creeks and left boulders that were not easy to negotiate. It was very doubtful whether wc would bo able to get across the Little Wanganui. On arrival at Mr Glass’s house we were infouned that tho ford would" ho tried, and Mr Glass agreed to put a heavy horse in our gig to go across with. On arrival at tho ford a comrade suggested that we should drive through,, assuring us that our horse would take uS over. Hero Bill objected, he said ho “had a. wife and family to look after.” It was agreed that our friend should driy • the gig and Bill ride his liorso oyer. When wo entered the river, It looked “pounds to peanuts” that, someth Lie unrehearsed would iiaarwr, • >*e horse leant against the rushing waters of the river at. an ancle of about jorty-

five opcrc-ts, and I was so interested in watching the,horses struggles that I, did not notice the water swirling through the trap until I found both my feet. wet. For a few seconds I

thought the Labour Representation Committee would have to choose another candidate for Westland. However, our friend proved a good hand with tho reins and we landed safely on the other side. Notwithstanding his many sore places, Bill mounted the horse and followed us into tho river, and after a passage which was to us, safe on shore, interesting; but to Bill rather exciting came safely through. Tho inclemency of tho weather, and the uncertainty of us being able to cross the river was responsible for a

smaller attendance at Hari Hari tlian was anticipated. Still wo had a fair meeting. The burning question at Hari Hari and Wataroa. is the Bold Head Road. This road which is almost level would shorten the distance to Ross by about 2 3 t miles, and would also cut out the steep hills of the present road. The road has been formed by the Government and only needs gravelling to complete. But the Westland County Council has granted a sawmilling com pnny the right to use .the formation for the extension of their railway south. It seems to be an uncertainty whether the company intends to lay their rails along side or in the centre of the formation. As it is the farmers are up in arms against the cutting off of their proposed shorter track to the markets, and considering the isolation of South Westland it is no wonder that they should be so. Anothor grievance is the granting of large areas of bush to the same company in such a position as to prevent another firm getting in. A local resident with a. sawmill plant lying idle cannot got sufficient bush to cut timber for local requirements. From Hari Hari to Ross we passed some splendid sawmilling country. A good meeting at Waitalia and we turned for Ross. Crossing the Little W ait alia river at mid-night on a pitch <lftrk nbdit gave us some more thrills, and we . were quite pleased when we arrived] at Fergusons. Hero our host soon , made us comfortable. 'I he whisky iv the best ever, and we were sorry to leave Ross, further meetings with old comrades, a visit to the lime-kii n, a viewing of the proposed light-railway an d a meeting at night, completed the South trip. . . . Altogether South Westland is m a very backward state. There seems to have been no system of completing the roads and bridges needed by the people In several places a few miles of -oad would greatly facilitate transport And the brklc«! Well, ttc B»»l ' v “ lost in the rivers should have shifted any human government from then u slow” policy. When we arrived hack in Hokitika, we again met people uh did not greet us in passing. A\ sorry, sorry to finish our trip. Sony to leave those big-headed men and women of the South. Some of them have succeeded in life. Others have failed.

And here and there in the South are fcltill scattered a few Still sticking to their litlo huts—still perhaps, dreaming the dreams of the Golden West. '