OKURU NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 July 1926, Page 4

OKURU NEWS.

ANOTHER BLUNDER IN THE MAKINQ. HA AST PASS MOTOR, ROAD. (From A Correspondent.) JULY 9. The balance of the last year’s grant for the Haast Pass Track, about twothirds, the total being £450, is now to he spent in forming a vehicle road, the officials in charge hacking up the move for a -through motor road. They maintain that all future votes should he spent in the manner, gradually completing tlie desired road. A wise and correct suggestion, yet our advisers work directly opposite their doctrine.

From AVailio to Makarora, a distance of 260 to 2SO miles, the formed road suitable for motor traffic lias - been already completed for over fifty miles on the AVestland section from AAaiho, and from the other end about fourteen miles. Now our official advisers have made as start on the centre. AAe call picture a builder for instance, who has completed the left wing of a building and leaves this with no plan of connections and commences on-the veiandah of the unbuilt right wing and then leaves that to place a cupboard in a space which lias not been decided upon for ally specified portion of the building. By the time the connections are made from each cud of this new load this part will have to lie made again. In the meantime it awaits the completion of the balance which cannot he accomplished in a short period. Tt can never he used us a vehicle road because each end is a dead end and has no connections, therefore no importance. AA’hereas had it been spent in extending the existing road it could have been of some importance by bringing about a quicker accomplishment of nil important highway into new country and bringing tlie hack settlements closer communication. Furthermore where our wise adiiseis are at present working is never likely to he a portion of the maiii highway, it laying well olf the surveyed main road. Are our advisers without loresight entirely that our public money so sadly needed in this district should he wasted in the manner? AAJiat influence is hearing them to conic to this unwise decision? it amounts to this public money being spent for the benefit of two landowners who own the whole countryside and who now having accumulated sufficient easily earned money from pastoral pursuits to place their large huikliugs oil the maikct and retire, away from the disadvantages of backblock life. This new road formation now under way penetrates and gives access to many hundreds of acres of excellent land held by those two settlers, placing a considerable addition to the value ol both holdings which are now on tlie market. A few months hence this work will look little better than if it had not been 'touched, the country being of a lowlving nature and nnfenced stock will change our advisers “own ” section of the Haast Pass motor road into a quagmire.

It is understood this vote is for the Haast Pass track therefore cannot he expected to- he spent on any other section of the proposed motor road but had it been, spent in the extreme eastern end. the Saddle, and worked westwards the Government would have been induced to connect up the two existing motor roads in the Makarora A'nlley which is only three to three and a-half miles of sidling to form, the balance comprising a few miles of grass and scroll Hats with tons of good metal on the spot. AA'ith this and the money still unspent from last year's estimates the road would have been completed from Lake AA'anaka through the extensive and fertile Makarora A'nlley, over the Pass and a few miles this side.

Arc these blunders to l>c always the stumbling block of our progress ?. Are we always to lie left behind because of our officials ceaseless blunders? WEST LAND AGAIN' MISSED. While, wo read of the sums to be spent, on the already excessively favoured tourist resorts in other provinces our superior attractions, extensive and varied remain unnoticed, mimentioned by our Tourist .Department. Fifty pounds is spent, unwisely spent, in a subsidy to a junior member of the •staff’s choice of routes, on route linne on a month’s furlough. We do not liegrudge the young man his tour or Ids choice of routes but when we t ear i so much of funds for necessary improvements refused bore, and refused there, one wonders how the young member of the staff worked the ’‘oracle.” NEW DATEV COUNTRY. SOUTH OF WESTLAND. .(Oti.igo “Witness.”) When some day, in the more or less distant future, the wide acres o( laud in South AAVstlami have been cleared of the trees, when the pastures arc carrying thousands of dairy cattle, will the produce be brought, through the Haast 'Pass and on to Dunedin for shipment overseas, or will it he conveyed to Hokitika? Mr J. R. Wilson, of Dunedin, who lias just returned from a visit to the locality, says i.t will he brought to Dunedin. For over a distance of 50 miles in the South Westland district, entering from the Haast Valiev, there are rich river fiats which Mr Wilson says will in the course of time he flourishing dairy farms. The area embracing these farms will he larger than the Taieri, Strath Taieri, and the Island at Bal-c-lutha pul together. At present there are some odd grass patches, but the

greater proportion of the area is a-v----ered with “cracker,” . ribbomvood, broudleaf, bine bine, moke moke, fuchsia, etc. Twenty-five years .ago ihc Hon. R. .1. Seddon said he hoped to live to see a railway running through tho Haast Pass, but Air AA ilson says no railway could be built there, unless at a very heavy outlay. Nor is it necessary. With the advent of the motor lorry a good road will he all .hat will bo required. Apart from the timbers named, howeNer, there are, further afield the lasi remaining big forests of white pine in tho Dominion. In a small block of privately-owned land there are said to bo 15,000,000 feet, of white pine «ml silver beech growing—the biggest and most valuable block of privately-owned forest in the Dominion. When this timber, with the other native trees, is cleared there will be a wide expanse of dairying country. . “One might naturally ask why should tho products of the area lie sent to Otago as preference to Hokitika?” said Mr Wilson. “Tho answer is very simple. Tt is 200 miles to Hokitika. Tt is only 70 to Wanaka.” He is very optimistic regarding tho wondeiiiil possibilities of South Westland, mid he sees no reason why the locality should not he tapped from the Otago end. A good road, and the motor lorries can do the rest.

Mr J. Wilson’s notes and impressions of Haast hud Okuru published in Otago “Daily Times” speak of this being the only timber forsest of white pine left standing in the Dominion and speak of the recently acquired block of timber by a Greymouth firm comprising .approximately 15.000.000 feet of timber, as being tire largest privately-owned block in the Dominion. Mr Wilson should be advised in future to extend his tour northwards from Okuru or even south-

wards and he will discover a serious error of judgment. The writer lias good reasons to believe Mr AVilson’s agitation, probably prompted bv lack of knowledge of West Coast resources, was the cause whereby 2,500 -acres of available Crown Land was recently withdrawn from Land for Application and placed into State Forest Reserve. Far more than enough of our province is locked up in this manner. AA : ith the dawn of the improved reading these sections would hive become tenanted. Three of these sections were fronting the lower portion of tho Haast Pass Track and private property on each side is now felled, fenced, and grassed. MEETING. OKURU, July 13. A meeting of shareholders in the ketch “Elsie” was held at Okuru last week to discuss the proposition of installing two now and higher power engines and raising the necessary money for the purpose. A'ory few residents put in an appearance although the useful sum of £250 "'an raised in £1 shares. A similar amount uas raised in Okarito. A further meeting will he called and held at Bruce Bay this week.

GENERAL. Air and Mrs Crawford who have for tho past few years conducted share milking in this district left ycstoidny to take up their residence, in canterbury. via Habst Pass. Mr Crawford arrived at the period when dairying was first discussed and plans were discussed to erect a dairy factory. He had made arrangements to occupy certain improved land and become a supplier of this proposed factory. But owing to lack of unanimity of the landowners the venture fissled out. 'Phis subdivision and dairying v.as first outlined l>y Air IT. Cnttnnee, a prosperous farmer on the fertile Taieri Plains in Otago- many years ago end had it. been acted upon then would probably have boon the first daiiy factory on the Coast and Okuru to-day wouid have been a prosperous, thickly populated community. Air IT. Outtunco also claims to have imported tho first- plough and was undoubtedly one of the most progressive and modern farmers then in the district. Air Cuttiinee was a brother of Air -1. Gntlauee, the retired harbour master. Air Cuttaneo’s retreat from his native district reads like a romance—driving and taking all stock both live and dead with him. Also a young family, the complete concern, all mounted and goods, etc., on pack horses and spare horses, cows and bullocks, leading the provesision left destined for Otago- by way of Haast Pass amidst tho barking of dogs and cracking of whips. Such is the arduous travelling of AA'cstland’s backblock district and still is. tTno often hears of the roadless North (North Auckland) let them come and pee)) nt our roadless South, not just a. few miles from a. centre, but many score. It is not barren, unproductive pumice land, hut fertile river fiats and vast timber forscst, every acre productive. Excellent easterly weather has boon experienced throughout the winter, probably tho host season experienced for a number of years. Advantage In* been taken of the drying caster!v winds to burn second growth and rushes iu -several parts of the district. Deer were recently seen in the Upper Arawata Vnlloyfov the first time. H was reported they wore AA’apiti, but there are doubts as these animals-were liberated many miles further south and it- is not believed they have extended very far. Pigeons are very plentiful in most valleys and both the ka-ka and ken are often hoard.

TIMBER. VERSUS CONCRETE. With 11W3 modern trend of building in favour of concrete building, once fears for the future safety of the timber indutsry. One also wonders whether the authorities considered this when they locked up the greater portion of Wctslnnd in State Forest 11ccsrvc. Tt lias been freely discussed that this policy lias been much overdone. especially where it. affects our province to no small extent. The removal of the heavy timber from the land is essential for the successful development of our vast areas of pastoral land. Our marked progress is doomed without it. Dairying, to which the Const is ideally suited, pastoral pursuits, mining and close settlement is seriously . handicapped therefore our prosperity and progress baulked. Perhaps in future years these blunders will show themselves in truer light, but it may then be too late. All buildings will be in concrete or some newer invented substance. “.An opportunity once lost can never be regained.”

Extracts from “Otago AA’itness” : At tbo meeting in question one Dunedin business man stressed the necessity for ooening up a road over the I-lanst Pass to tap South "Westland. He had five minutes to speak to his sullied, and got as far as mentioning tho tourist traffic, tho great salmon that may some day lie taken out of the rivers there, and the magnificent timber that might be transported—apparently over the Haast Pass—from South Westland to Dunedin. This reminds one of the magistrate who was constantly giving right decisions in the court, but when be came to give bis reasons they were generally bad ones. AA’e all know that along the Haast Valiev is the best way out for produce from South AA’estlaud. Blit to talk of bringing timber by road to the railhead—at Luggate, say—requires a very vivid imagnation, as all the best snwniillers will tell you that it hardly pays to bring timber up from Tahakopa to Dunedin. Importers can bring it from the United States for about the same money. AVe want the Haast road, hut primarily to let the cattle and sheep, and wool, and even cheese, flow down this way to its natural port. I say cheese, for there are many areas of great dairying country along tho Wrinnka and through to the Coast. HOOKER GLACIER ACCESS.

Au inspection of the accessability of this little known glacier was made last week by Air Erie James, the local White Star member. The approach was made up the Clarke Riverbed from tbo Haast Pass Track, and must not lie confused with the Canterbury Hooker Glacier near tho Hermitage. The access from the proposed accommodation house at Burke Flat is by bush tracks and open grassy river flats; all local country, over which can bo seen mobs of well-bred Hereford cattle and occasionally a few deer, usually in small herds, and hero and there the remains of a stalkers’ camp. Tho front view riding up the valley would be hard to heat, the Hooker Peak standing out prominently from his lesser neighbours, always snow-capped, and often with a distinct blue tinge from the snow fields adjoining. The forest is of the mountain birch type, heavily coated in soft moss. The flats eventually become covered in snow grass, where prior to the rabbit was blue tussock country. Tin* Landshorough has to he forded half a mile up from the junction with the Clarke. A short rocky gorge is easily passed by following a blazed track on the left hand bank, ami following the stream up another few miles another gorge was encountered. This is extremely rough with boulders and quite impossible for horse traffic and it was found necessary to proceed on foot, for the first f mile on the left side

of the gorge, which .though rough, 1 could, easily bo made practicable for , foot traffic by blazing a track. From j this point the river takes a sharp turn , to the right to again bear sharply to 1 the left, passing through precipice and extremely rugged "country. This would lie almost impassable by following the river, but an easy route was found by cresting a low saddle due north, over which a blaze could easily he made and at the same time shortening the distance. This route, a little over 2 miles, eventually reaches Davies’ Flat, which is easy going for a mile and a-lialf. Another and the last gorge is then encountered, which is nearly two miles and may possibly show further obstacles, which has yet to be investigated. Once through this ifnexplo-red gorge, the going appears not to he difficult, and is only a distance of four miles to the foot of the glacier, and Mark’s Flat. A field sketch of Mark’s Flat laying between .Aft. Hooker and Hooker Glacier and Kca Cliff, hv the late Chas. Douglas, can bo seen in the Hokitika Museum. In future, this route will offer many attractions to tourists, especially to the tramping and alpine class. Deer stalkers visit this locality each season, and young trout- will lie liberated in the Clarke Diver this spring. It is a clear blue-smooth running little river, and well suited for angling. It is a two-day’s ride or tramn from AValink:) . and a- similar distance from Ok urn.

LATEST NEWS. JULY IGlh. Rev Young, accompanied by Bishop Campbell AVost-Watson and Mrs West Watson arc expected here during the next few days to hold confirmation servile. Unfortunately our visitors have m issed our long spell of fine weather, and their visit may be held up by had weather. The Minister of Public Works proposes to go over the whole of the route embraced in the new tourist route and motor read connecting the main South

1 Load system in Westland with Lake i AVanaka. Otago, via Hnast Pass. SevJ era! years have elapsed since a Minis- ’ ter of Public AA’orks last visited our 1 district, and set-tiers will have the opportunity of meeting him and placing local matters before liim. The Otago Acclimatisation Society are supplying brown trout eggs for liberation in the Iluast River, which will he shipped up the Lake (Wanaka) from Pembroke, thence by pack-horse over the pass. Mr J. Mcßride has returned from a short visit to his native province over the Pass. He reports the Otago end of the track is in a disgraceful state, being only passable with difficulty.