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King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 161, 3 June 1909, Page 2

I DURING the recent tour of the Mini- [ stcr for Roads and Bridges through the | district, a strong appeal was made to | the Mioi-tter by the residents of the | country lying between Kawhia and 1 | Kawa railway station fyr the completion of the Ngutunui-Kawa section of ! the road, and the erection of a bridge | over the Waipa river. Consideration of the matter was promised by the Mr ; Hogg, and doubtless in framing the ! Estimates for the coming year an l > amount will be allocated for this im- [ portant work. The residents of the j district, recognising the extreme importance of having their district linked by road with the Main Trunk railway. are now framing a petition to the Minister, asking for a sufficient sum to complete the section at the earliest possible time. Such enterprise is to be commended and we trust the settlers will not cease the agitation until a staisfactory result has been obtained. The road is one of the most important in the district, forming ias it does direct communication between the Main Trunk line and Kawhia Harbour, and opening up a large extent of fine country. This road will provide an outlet for the country right back to Te Rau-a-moa and will shorten the distance as compared with the present route by at least ten miles. The country, moreover, is highly suitable for dairying, to which branch of industry those settlers having access to the railway have already directed their energies. It will thus be seen that the arguments in favour of having the work pushed ahead are of the strongest possible nature, and the cost of the undertaking will be amply repaid in a very short neriod bv the increased production

which access to the railway will make j possible. Mr Hogg has ever been an ardent advocate of the backblock settler who takes his future in his own hands, and battls manfully with the primitive conditions common to the pioneer, and probably no more fitting I opportunity will occur to the Minister f of carrying his principles to a practical [ issue. We trust the efforts of the j settlers will have the greatly desired effect, and considering the active interest and sympathy exhibited by Mr Hogg on behalf of the settlers in general, we have every confidence that as far as funds will allow the work will be accomplished. THE result of the sale of township sections at Otorohanga this week proclaims in no uncertain manner the fact that people who arc in a poiition to assess the situation have unbounded confidence in the future of the town | and district. Both business and resi- | dential sites brought high figures, and j that the sections were competed for, | and secured singly, by a large number of people indicate." that the demand was not merely speculative. To those acquainted wtib the district the confidence expresred at the sale cannot appear strange, as without a doubt the prospects of Otorohanga, as an important'centre, are of the brightest nature. A great extent of fine country, admirably suited for close settlement girdles the township, and when the land now lying idle is opened for settlement the large population whi'h it will carry must make the railway centre a busy and prosperous t"wn. J he plea of the Premier and the Native Minister that the Native township? were not expected to grow ha- probably long since been exploded. ,: ; the provisions made for the gov mmg •''■ such townships have been extended a:- , a result of the efforts of township residents. Much still remains to be accomplished, however, before the

O'Untvy towns .'in- granted equal rights and privileges with other European e.-.n-.n-.i'jiiiii-.-, a:: : th- knowledge of the i.i-ij:':-.-. '"U;re i:. :>,;• Otorohar.ea >!."'- - ■:■ -Ic_-:-rc-r-. inc. ; ;;■::.: spirit of iu-- :■..«!;:«■:.'.r.olci ;-.:•.■• r.. -■■. :-.r/: ciirctr th''ir e;:'orts in striving :. hetter-rii'-nt <■■:" c'-::.-'\':;\:j:.~ in '::e>-ni:::_' with the ,■•■(,.'-■■■-■■ ■:' : ; .> ■::.-:::•:'•:. ' ):.'.v i.v the

can v;. ]va , :>, ov< .-.■■■?:.<■ t'r.c- apathy and ,,;■ ;h- authorities with respect v> our urg'-rt -/• nuirements, and only i..y the sy::,: athetic co-opera-tion of th< i uinic spiriu-d in each centre can the greatest amount of benefit be derived from those efforts. With King Country residents showing a united front and striving together for the one goal, the best interests of the district will be served. The end is worth striving for, and with rapidly growing centres such as Otorohanga and Te Kuiti, faced with complex conditions and problems to solve, a hearty and sympathetic co-operation in the working out of a common destiny is the natural and reasonable outcome of a position engendered by conditions which obtain in no other portion of the Dominion.