CORRESPONDENCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 June 1929, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

A CORRECTION. (To the Editor.) Sir.—l big to draw your attention to an error which has crept into the columns of your paper in your issue of May 20th. under title “Heads From .Souln Westland.” This fine collection oi heads, measurements of which I myself tuoic, and which foil to the rifles of Messrs Livingtone Bros., were taken from the Young Valley through which flows a tributary of the Makaroa river in Otago. In a statement to me Mr Livingstone said they had not reached the main divide. They held licenses for an Otago block. There is a possibility these stags may have been Westland stags which haducros.sed the divide hundreds of times, whose quarters are in the Otago District. Livingstone Bros’ collection . was a fine one. and measurements exceeded those of any others taken in Westland or Otago. Livingtone Bros were a fine type of Colonial sportsmen, but the fact remains that their trophies were from Otago and not Westland. Sincerely yours. ERIC' JAMES. Makaroa, May 29th. THE FAR SOUTH PROBLEM. (To the Editor.) Sir, —So much has been written an if said again urging the construction of the Jackson Bay-Oleum road at the cost of £70,000, that I cannot refrain from condemning the idea. A road linking an isolated, uninhabited port with an equally isolated settlement with a population of less than a dozen families, in my opinion, is absurd.

There is nothing to uphold such a large expenditure of public money, 'lucre would be no use for it; it would act to no purpose; traverse no land suitable for settlement and tap no privately owned milling timber, but would pass only through a twenty-mile odd stretch of barren country suited only (for milling, which, if released from State forest, would not be required for years while so large extent of handier timber is available.

Possibly no person is keener than 1 am to see progress movement in Westland, but I cannot help but raise my pen in action against this expenditure totally unwarranted. There is without doubt much room for development within this wide and sparsely populated district that the first consideration for roading must be a main highway, connecting the district with another where markets are available.

Let us concentrate on the WostlandUtago road. The absence of this is the cause of much stagnation. But even so the key to the. whole position is in the unravelling of the land subdivision problem. Before the southernmost part of Westland can advance, the many overextensive holdings must first be wisely handled by the Land Board to allow entry of more and more settlers.. No district can thrive without settlers so in logic this is the first problem to solve. Outside of’ mining and sawmilling there is little or no room for settlement at the present time.

It is perhaps natural for the large runholders to cry out for roads. They must first make room for new people with modern ideas on the large areas they monopolise and which is beyond their managing capacity and financial ability to farm to the fullest advantage.

I feel certain if the true figures of acreage held bv individuals were published the public would be astounded. When one family hold ffrom two to three whole river valleys, each capable of carrying a substantial population with wise sub-division, plus a dairy factory, it is high time the authorities woke up to the fact ‘and all in the interests of the country and the dis; trict, too. Dozens off runs can be named suitable for sub-division and the many overlarge estates of freehold and leasehold land might also stand a little investigation with view of sub-division, A new land policy is urgently needed.

Instead of more settlers coming on the scene each year we see a continudly dwindling population and individual holdings becoming larger.

The future possibilities of Jackson Bay as a port, with population and industry is assured, but this proposed road will not make it other than what it is to-day, a “ map port.” Face the vital problems—land subdivision and a main highway and the rest will follow as night follows day. I am, ERIC JAMES. Makaroa, June 3.