SETTLERS' HARDSHIPS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 347, 25 March 1911, Page 5

SETTLERS' HARDSHIPS.

RATANUI ROADS. A TRYING POSITION. (By Our Own Representative.) The Ratanui district has long been known and more especially by those that have seen it as being one of the ! finest areas of pastoral country in the King Country. It is all easy country, | and will be in the future one of our ! best districts. Everything is in favour of the farmer—good country, and an idea! climate. Settlement ha 3 been in this block for about five years, and despite the lack of roads and the hardships of pioneering, the3e settlers have done remarkably we'll in the improvement of their farms. Settlers are to-day isolated. 'They have no roads into their block, and trie work in that district as far as roads are concerned is positively stagnant. There are fourteen settler 3in the block, and the experiences that the3e men have gone through in getting their homes together have been verytrying. Settlers have carried the iron to build their homes on their backs through the bush. Not only have they carried the iron, but everything that they have in their homes. It is a scandal and a disgrace and more than that it is a reflection on the authorities, to ask men and women to go on the land under such conditions. The-?e settlers have made applications without number, and the work has gone no further ahead. The district is an ideal one for dairying, but the prospects of this fine industry becoming established are decidedly not very encouraging. If roads were available next season would see these settlers start dairying, but the position is that on account of roads it is impossible. There are five or six settlers who are thinking of supplying cream to the Pio Pio factory, and they have serious doubts in their minds whether it can be done or not, because of roads. It is truly a great pity that these people should be closed up like birds in a cage, more especially now that they have got their holdings far enough advanced to go on with an industry that would give them some remuneration. The position is certainly acute, and much bitterness is prevalent among the settlers as regards their treatment. Representations are being made almost weekly, yet things are no further ahe.ad. Settlers intend to keep agitating, and have every hope, and in fact ara determined that their claims shall be recognised. The Kawhia-Mahoenui road is the one that wants opening, and by the way that the making of this road has been going on the Department seems to have cast aside all recognition of the interests of settlers. Not only in this part of the district have settlers had to complain about the making of this road, but ; n almost every instance where it was required ' ; give access to settlement. Another road on account of its incompleteness that has caused and is causing a considerable amount of annoyance and inconvenience is the Pungarehu road. Only about 28 chain 3 are required to be made to give access to the settlement from one point, and that point would serve a gnod few settlers. And still another road—the Maire road—which gives access to eight sections and nothing at all has been spent on it, with the exception of about £27 of available "thirds." That is indeed an extraordinary amount for a road to give access to eight settlers. It would scarcely be enough to blaze the track through the bush. However, that is scarcely the point. These settlers were loaded at so much per acre for roading facilities, and it indeed is extraordinary in the extreme that "thirds" should have to be used on the road which should have been made for them in order to have ingress and egress from their sections. "Thirds" are usually for the keeping of a road in repair. There is no doubt but that Ratanui settlers have and are being very badly treated. They are labouring under a grave injustice, and one that no section of the community should tolerate to be practised on the other. Here is a fine settlement, one that would make a mark in the district by its productivity,isolated and suffering hardships. Another winter will soon be on them, and another period of imprisonment. The whole thing is scarcely creditable, and yet it is so. The settlers have been badly looked after, and it is no wonder that rancour and dissatisfaction prevail. It is unjust that men like these who go into the hinterlands to carve out their homes in the wilderness and improve the assets of the country by bringing it into a useful state of productivity should be treated in such a way. And yet another grievance and example of lethargy is the cutting up of the township. Two years ago it was definitely promised that the work would be done. The bush has been felled, and nothing further done. Settlers at present have about £6O worth of material ready to build a temporary school, also a hall for meetings or other social events, and are unable to obtain a site. The telephone line between Mairoa and Marakopa will go through Ratanui and although settlers have guaranteed their share of interest on the line there is every appearance that they will have to go without for some time. It is bad enough to be without road 3 but it is still worse to be without a quick means of communication in the event of accident or sickness.