FUTURE OF WESTLAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 January 1923, Page 4

FUTURE OF WESTLAND.

disk OK THE DAiHYING INDUSTRY. (|jy IK A. Kenner, written for the Lyttelton Times.”) Some of tho impressions tonned by a walking |tarty in Westland recontlv mav be of general interest. I lie hrst j s [hat the scenery is among the choicest and most varied in New Zealand, the second, that the hospitality of West Coasters remains true to tradition ; and tiie third, Unit dairying is developing so effectively as to give promise of taking the place of the one-time prosperous mining industry. The visitors were struck bv the excellent- quality of the Hereford stock, which will probably find its wav to the markets at Adding--1,,n. They' were also impressed by the great pioneering work which is being carried on l.v the stout-hearted sawnu!l--ers. The people everywhere still look for" aid with patience to tho opening "I the ‘'hole through Urn hills” as to an event which will do more than anything else to bring Westland closer to j Canterbury. In passing, it may •<', staled that the co-operation of the Can- j my Progress League in advancing, ihe 'claim* n 7 Westland is much appro- ’ chill'd. and that this is to some extent, responsible for the feeling ol inter-de-pcnd.'iice which exists between uur provime and tho western country. All down the long wilin' road w.iirn i.xi e■ d- southward from the railway terminus at. Ross there uro springing i.o he I ween 11n- f,ml lulls and the sea ~'im s, 1111 ■ 111 e 111 s v.liich spell stability. In each. Ihe mainspring of activity ~ fuel *i 1 y and it in turn is the i 'litre' of a sell'-eoiii niued township. The first is the Waitalia Settlement, which is reached by a branch roan !, aving the main road about twenty miles below Ross, and running up the , all**v "I I lie Waitalia Ri\er. Next is llari' I lari, thirty miles south of Ross, and midway between the Wanganui an I Little Wanganui Rivers. The thud is .Matainui. fifty miles hum the railway, and between the Wal aroa and the W;is fangi Rivers. So far the laelories . have specialised in cheese because oi I the easier marketing, but there is now a movement for duplicating with but- ' , ter. The Walaroa factory lias iii-lali- ! cl a bnlier-making plain with which it i- possible to work whichever product is ip most protit aide demand. Ihe Inter Wanganui Factory makes butlei from whey’, hut it is generally lonccie ! lb: i the met in.d of the Wat cron FeeI t: 1-v is bet I or. The Idler receives | I ,cam fioin Wnilio Gorge, twenty miic- ! further si,nth. 'and a!-o Irom breneh ; set tiements riolig the "ay. Him- i- | the country westward of the Ah;* opening up to the axe an i industry of ' hi t pa *ia ar. si me of its must i»ullm i’ u i settler.- del'llic that ii i- de-i.o 'd to fi.eome a second Taranaki, j \ pleasing I ■.■■•till re i- the ip logbieil ‘ i i rosp- 'ii'. ol the set tiers. D reji >rl - ' are reliable m..-L ~f tie Imldim;", an- '! ijeelio il iii the real sense, anil I '• owuj |. .. l ave been able I ) witln-taml the j si: >ek el' tile reeeiil liuaneial -tress. Aj lime Mies oil. more milking machine. ’ J Il'dl •!-•-;•>» less he in t rod II,•' d. Of a hoc! 1 thirty suppliers In the Malar":' I'aeio"... i ply lour have maehines. It is at-i I duet ion ol hill ter more i oine separa! i r 'j u :i| he done. The quad: V of the If f- is vouched for hv one tic f"" •| . ,rv managers with a ko.mi.dge of .; i'.yiug in the leading N i 11, | sliird. lie states t lint tln A.’e.-tenters iiave not spare:! cNp. ; n-e a -ili , uqiaie oil!’ the liest hi'i'ds it . Z: an’. lie says th.it 1 lie good j : ! a: I, t e a.hondei'i ranis ensun Sj.le.iiliil le. d. li" also heiieves strong'.:. ■' j,, . loin,-" ,-| the industry. Roth !•;>.er toward- the in the eoiif.— ... ( .i. Ip -mile run the way led l 1 rough - i-iid dao yie.g land'- mo-ti;' v. el! elea red and all earrying eaitie. It under-toe,! Hint some two I hulls I c-re- of ibis i- owned iiy one ol tin’ early pioneering familne- lint that tiiei" a pio-peet of it* being made availall" 'lor purchase. Closer settlement "iii a<h! still i,nt h.-r to the pro-p-eby of f!:e district.. U hat has laa-i; -aid of mining for romparnliv - pur; oses dues mil mean a Hn* iadiiory has languished. A. | ,o aliiitia! gnid continues to i- on and the big dredge at Rimu •- sni i to he niaituaiiiiag an output satisfactory to the 'unerii-an invest..rs. Rumour suggests l e inlroj din"’ oi ol other ’Jg dre.lges. In p'i:ng it is oi interest to note Hint the ia-'t ('dicild Year I’.ook that •■ihe -vs tom ol gidd-dredgiug * widen J ie,i in New Zealand, t- r»pidly_ | ,!, . i:11 in imporfan. e. ihe unnihei of iVem It!" 11l I'.'dti to twelve ill IlKiO." .Maybe the work at Rimu demoimtrates possibilities lor the iuLttre. Neither is it. to he supposed that p’nere of tiie "good old days. I hat v, ii! la-; v. Idle vet, ran min. i's are left to dream their earthly dreams, ihe-" old men delight to talk, and as they puff tlmir moke clouds you can in fancy repeople the ferrets with men o[ tip. l.ard■ mil!"!' breed, hear the i"'iless tread through the detisolitish and up the s-tii-'p gullies, and picture an ui a stamped.' up or down Liie coast "id, pack hor'-es and women folk and tvori--Iv |Miss(-s..sions in tiie wake oi smite ui,.d rush. Still in imagination you can .see ike flinging logit her e! musoroom

towns'v.ith their scores of saloons and (lancing halls and boar -numb nt the wild. Icverish life "huh was bred ,n those earlv days llow man\ of t' •' ns are now but shadows of Hour I'ortncr shapes; All this but serves »o empha.-ise tbe good fortune of tin 'Vest Coast in proving that its conditions are favourable for the primary industries. In j... „. ~;a ft iinhilious arc being him Vbicli "ill hist. It is the story ov agaiti of the Thames Vail y and mb". , p.i |; districts "here dairving |,as enme to the front at opportune times. There are s’undy le" places m New Zealand wliieh offer better |uvneets than Weis 1 laud for settler- ol the right kind, and who can say what will be tiie vmliit* in .i tow years en. !,\nt] now j )i*uei!i’ivble for £'lU (,i per acre.’ The climate is wet, but except in the spring there are usuall,several months of settled weather, and when it is line it is really fine. The time must come nt ir> cistniu date when the extension of the no - way beyond Ross is seriously consul-

er ,:,l. 'Vlosimvliile the motor services ho'li for paswnfters nnd good? trn, J ; ‘ arc serving the country tvoli On mo road to Wnilio Gorge there .i- hut one more river to bridge. Ihis is the W a.tnngi. and the contractors arc nptv on the ioh. The bridging problem is important in Westland that the County Council has appointed a bridge toroinan to specially supervise this work. Tlie bridge are solidly built on pue> of silver pine. some of which have recent Iv proved to he sound after -i-tv vo a Is of use. The County Council keeps its roads in excellent order < x,„,.i where the timber lorries have been operating. A system of road rollis be in sr suggested as a remedy. ' With, the bridging of the rivers none o* x\i* % farmer »u« /.finis ft tv attached to

the trip by roads to Waiho Gorge, and the old fear of being “caught down south’’ therefore disappears. A reference to the scenic features ol tiie route and to experiences at tiie trails Josef Glacier was intended, bill with tiie editor's permsision this must await a further article.