THROWN SOUTHERN EYES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 491, 14 August 1912, Page 6

THROWN SOUTHERN EYES.

THE KING COUNTRY*. The article referring to the King Country, which appeared in the Diinedin Star recently, has given rise to considerable comment. However, as an indication that the Star opinion is not universal the following extract from the Otago Witness of January 16th, 1911, will be of interest : "The Maoris bokst that the King Country, or Rohe Potae, as it is often callpd, has never been conquered by the pakehas. It is true that neither British nor colonial forces ever crossed the border in the war times and it is true that for years the Maoris held it jealously against the white man. But this great territory s now being systematically invaded by a force which will subject it more thoroughly than ever military power could. This force is the settler pioneers, and being opposed to death by the Maori owners of the land, they are being welcomed. The outposts of the settler pioneers, have been .pushed in to places utterly unknown to pakehas a few years ago, and known but to a few even to-day. To the westward they extend from Teakau to Tongaporutu, and to the eastward they are reaching the margin of Taupo Moana. Rohe Potae is a great territory, equal in size to a province, and there are tremendous difficulties tq overcome, chiefly legislative barriers and Government in difference; but the settler pioneers are beating down the various barriers or clambering over them, and th 1 absolute conquest of Rohe Potae is assured.

"This peaceful invasion of the King Country '"a proceeding chiefly from the south,. By rights it should be the privilege of Auckland on conquest and hold this magnificent territory, but the sons of the men who helped to win the W?ikato by the rifle and sword evidently lack the enterprise of their fathers, and therefore are missing one of the greatest chances in New Zealand of securing magnificent land at a mere nominal figure. It is the men from Taranaki, Wellington, Hawke's Bay, and Poverty Bay who are pouring into the King Country and securing nearly every section thrown open by the Government or offered under lease by the Maoris. Why Aucklanders are not taking their part in this wurk is difficult to say. Probably tb.ey will come in at a later date and pay the pioneers of to-day a big premium for what they could get at bedrock price now. It is no exaggeration to say that men are securing land in the King Country to-day for 20s and 25s per acre which, when broken into grass, will be easily worth £lO or more per acre. The limestone hill country stretching southward from Waingaro in the Hakarimata ranges to Waitara will form one of the greatest sheep districts in New Zealand, and the numerous great valleys will rival Taranaki's best dairying lands. Many people have the idea that the King Country is rough and broken. It is one of the easiest countries in New Zealand. Most of the hills, except in the extreme west, have gradual

slopes and broad summits, and there is more rolling downs country in it than there is in Canterbury. The area of land in £he King Country which can be easily ploughed is immense, and as much of this ploughable country borders the higher range, it will come in splendidly as fattening and cropping ground for the purely pastoral areas. At the present time the Waikato is the stock-fattening centre for nearly all the southern portion of the Auckland province, and if the Waikato farmers imagine that they have a monopoly in this direction they will make a great mistake, for there ;s as good turnip country eastward of Otorohanga, Hangatiki and Te Kuiti as any about Hamilton or Cambridge, and it can be purchased at less than a tenth of most of the Waikato lands. The presence of so much arable land in the King Country is one of its most promising features, because it means that instead of having to send stock away as stores, cattle or sheep can be fattened where, they are bred, and it means also the sure development of the dairying industry and much closer settlement than if the pastoral industries alone had to be depended upon.