TARANAKI LAND BOARD.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 135, 1 March 1909, Page 2

TARANAKI LAND BOARD.

Tour of King Country. On Friday last, Messrs Heslop and Rattenbury, members of the Taranaki Land Board, arrived at Te Kuiti, having performed a tour of the Northern portion of Taranaki. In conversation with the "Chronicle" representative, Mr Heslop gave some particulars of the tour, and his impresicns of thcdisticts visited.

The party originally consisted of seven, including Mr F. Simpson, Commissioner of Crown Lands for Taranaki, Mr J. McCluggage, member of the Board, and Messrs Twiss and Tolme, Crown Land Rangers, together with a man in charge of the horses. Upon arriving at Ohura from Whangaj momona, Mr Simpson, who was sufferj ing from a slight illness, and Mr Mc- • Cluggage, decided to return, and the i remaining members continued the tour. j From Mangaroa the party proceeded by the new road to Taumarunui. The track was found to be extremely rough, the horse having to be led in places. However, the land is being opened gradually for settlement, and as the country is of good quality, there is every reason to regard the future of that portion of the district hopefully. The party then proceeded to Matiere, and from that centre by the new road via Waitewhena to Aria. Mr Heslop was particularly struck with the Waitewhena Valley, which he described as practically level for a distance of seventeen miles. The country is of excellent quality, and* it is not all rough. A feature of the valley is its coal seams, and Mr Heslop predicts a big industrial future for Waitewhena. Taking the district generally, Mr Heslop was greatly struck with its all round progress. Seven years ago, he visited the district for the first time, and found it practically a wilderness. To-day there are hundreds of settlers, , many of them already making fair returns from their holdings, while others are rapidly bringing their sections to producing point. The future of the distict is assured. Good land and the right class of settlers, are the first essentials to successful settlement, and in the opinion of the Board members, the localities visited are exceptionally fortunate in both respects. In referring to the Improved Farm settlement S3'stem, Mr Heslop expressed gratification at the manner in which the system was being carried out. In no other district had the improved farm settlers been so successful, and there was every reason to look with pride upon the results attained in the North Taranaki settlements. Speaking from a wide experience, Mr Heslop said he was confident that no other district in the Dominion had progressed as the King Country had done during the last few years, and he felt assured that its prospects in the near future were of the brightest description.

Messrs Heslop and Rattenbury left on Saturday by the early train for home.