THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 1908. THE PREMIER'S VISIT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 87, 19 June 1908, Page 2

THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 1908. THE PREMIER'S VISIT.

King Country residents will view with unreserved satisfaction the visit of the Premier of the Dominion to the district, and mingled with the satisfaction will be the hope that the visit is destined to mark an era in the progress of a long neglected and little known locality. To town residents and outback settlers the visit is of equal importance, inasmuch as it provides the opportunity of placing clearly before the head of the Government the urgent needs of both town and country. The Premier's speech at Te Kuiti naturally dealt with political questions, and the general policy of the administration, though it opened with a sympathetic allusion to a feature of vital importance to the district, and closed with a commendable exhortation to patriotism, and an appeal to all to work hand in hand for the betterment of our country. Applying the Ministerial doctrine to our district, we would point to the fact that by inducing the Premier to visit the King Country, and form his estimate of its potentialities, the settlers are working for the betterment of one of the finest districts of the Dominion. Moreover, in so doing, they are not actuated by narrowness of outlook or parochialism, but are content to allow the estimate of such an experienced public man as Sir Joseph Ward to influence the actions of his colleagues with regard to future treatment of the district in the matter of public expenditure, The efforts of the Member for the district in inducing the Premier to make the visit will not readily be forgotten by the residents, and, as was indicated in the Premier's address, there is every liklihood of a more sympathetic and willing ear being lent to the representations of our Member when the position of our settlers with regard to roads and other necessary adjuncts of civilisation is being placed before the House. The Premier is deserving of the thanks of the settlers for his readiness in acceding to the invitation extended to him by the settlers, and his courtesy and obvious desire to assist to the best of his powers in the development of the district will doubtless be fittingly recognised as opportunity offers.

THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY. It is very gratifying to see that efforts are being made to re-es-tablish the dairy factory at Te Kuiti on a co-operative basis, and it is to be hoped the settlers in the vicinity will strive their utmost to bring the project to a successful issue. Destined to become the centre of a great dairyingindustry, Te Kuiti occupies an unrivalled position for a factory. There can be no doubt as to what is the premier industry of the Dominion, and the part played by dairying in the progress of New Zealand is too well-known to require reiteration. Thriving towns have sprung into existence, and virgin bush lands been transformed into grass paddocks within a few years by the agency of the factory and creamery, What has happened in other districts will undoubtedly occur in the King Country. The present local activity in land dealing is clue to the fact of Southern people being able to sell out their farms at bigprices and procure unimproved land of good quality in the KingCountry at a fraction of the price paid for similar lands in more settled localities. The present influx is not of dairymen, the majority of the new-comers beingcontent with stock-raising and the breaking in of new country. Moreover, the district is hardly prepared for the dairyman, and our roads are always a drawback to a settled and organised form of industry. Stili, the dairyman's invasion will come, and with it the value of all the lands in the district will ascend; therefore, any movement for the furtherance of the industry is deserving of the encouragement of all.