Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, NOV. 15, 1892. From West to East.

Manawatu Herald, 15 November 1892, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, NOV. 15, 1892. From West to East.

« Geoptßaphy does not seem to be a strong point with the colonists, but it is of much more importance than is generally conceeded. We, on this West Coast of the North island have communication with the South island and, of course, along the coast to Auckland, and across to Napier. That is all we have, and it may be enough, but we might have a great deal more at a very little expense. It sounds unnecessary to state that between Wellington and Woodville, on the East Coast there lies a vast tract of very valuable country quite out of touch with this coast, simply because a casual glance shows what appears to be an uusurmoun table barrier in the Tararna range of mountains. At the present moment the only practical opening between the two coasts is through the Manawatu gorge, a most circuitous and expensive route, handicapping the settlers on the East Coast most severely in the disposal of their surplus stock, which would be eagerly snatched up for fattening on the lands within a few miles of them on the opposite side of the range. All the new land lately purchased from the Manawatu Eailway Company and now being felled and grassed will be ready to absorb large quantities of stook, whiob must be obtained from a distance. The settlers have to purchase stock at Palmerston, Feilding or Bulls sales and drive them to their lands thirty to forty miles distant, which necessarily adds considerably to their cost, especially when it is remembered that they have not been bought so cheap as they might have been, had the stock not been driven a long distance to the sale yards to meet the southern buyen. Thus both the buyers on the West Coast and the sellers on the East Coast are losers by want of cross-country communication. To show how peculiarly circuitous a route stock would hays to travel between the Wairarapa and this coast, we will give a few instances of actual mileage that would have to be gone over. Eketahuna is practically the other side of the Tararua range to Shannon, yet to get stock to the nearest saleyard, at Palmerston, they would need to be driven 62 miles and the Shannon purchaser would have to drive them, supposing the direct road to be practicable, which it is not always, another 24 miles, so that 86 miles of driving would be added to the cost. This we may mention is the shortest and cheapest route at present in existence. We are aware that there is a track cut between Pahiatua and Palmerston which when completed and fenced, will be used, and shorten the distance some twelve miles, but that does not come up to the requirements of the case. There is a very large business done between the Hawkes Bay settlers and those living north of Wanganui, thousands of sheep pouring through each year, and owing to their position they cut the market quite away from their neighbours in the Wairarapa. Stock driving is preferred through open country when a choice is permitted, both on account of the possibility of

padlocking accommodation and the I ess dan^r of losing My by gettiri" ft stray in the bush, if A cross rdad could be discovered pv'tv the ranges anywhere Uettveiin Ota Id and TokohiiU'n the stick from any part of the Wairarapa would be driven that way, it even intended for the north of Wanganui, as the range,? mice crossed, move, open country would be available for the drover than b.y any other route-. | In this Article We are only directing attention to the need of some i communication across this long range of mountains somewhere between Wellington and the Gorge, in common fairness to the settlers residing on either side. We have a government professing much interest in the settlement of the land and anxious to find useful work for the unemployed, to them we suggest the advisability of hunting for such a road upon which the unemployed could be most usefully set ftt Work. The government have admitted their duty to he such as they placed men on the Pahiatua track, though it was a parallel road to the Gorge road and not far removed frdlri it. A pentMl rOUte would be a much more justifiable work. On another occassiou we shall be able, we hope, to suggest some route that would be justifiable to spend money in testing, and also the farther advantages such a line would confer on settlors on both coasts. Farmers are the slowest men to move to help themselves but when once moved are good honest stickers to the point-. "\V~e earnestly hope we ; Way be able to move them to help themselves.