Taranaki's Back Country.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 37, 13 February 1904, Page 2

Taranaki's Back Country.

VISIT OF THE HON. T. V. DUXCAN AMI Ml! .JI'SNNINOS. (By Telegraph.—Special to News.) ITUIAKA, Feb. 12. Hon. T. V. Duncan, .Minister for Lands, ai.'d Mr \V, T. Jenni-ngK, M.lli.R. for Egmon-l. arrived at Tuumarcnui on Thursday night, after the journey overlaid from Stratford to Ong'tiruo. Heavy ruin set in after leaving W-hiuiijfu'mo'inoiia and made the jodiriijey through to Mangurou I (:j."i miles of bush track) very Irving. At M,a;ngv>roa Mr .leiinings introduced a large deputation of settlers to the Minister, whin various matters affect in-g; th-e interests of the district wviv brought under his notice. The settlers asked that the road through to W-bungamonionu should be coim-pleled us soon as possible ; that a school be osln-blis-hul' ■ that noxiou.s vvoeds h-c -dealt with on Ooverni.iienl niifd native lands, and that a money order oliico be set up in connection with the post ollice ,'Jhe Minister stated th-at ho recogmsul the demaihls of die sot Hois were rcas.-nahio, nnid ho would brino->--f»iv Iris collogues th. various nuit-lers ivpi>o*eiiL'd, From Mang-aro-a the j,nrl.v drove to Ong.irue, wh«'ro various matters were represented to the Minister. At 1 auinarirniuj th-e settlors iuterxiewwl t-lio Mni'istor about roads ho-Iml matters, etc. ' ' Mr IXitnca-n to Auckland >y liaoi, uccomi,un-iod l,y tin. Crown -an. Co,nn,issio„or for Taranaki, •ur .Jus. Aluckenzie. The member ,„,. wont thiough to Ohiunga, ivlrich is the extreme point wlieiv men ure working on the North Island trunk railway douil progress has I. ~, , i •"' ) h"—" nas \Kvii made since the uiwuLer visited the work in M-, v last. ' • Gi-eat coni l; laint.s have been nuule by sot,dors that plans for the land o be t-hi-o«„ ojien for selection in March have not T,een circulate*. Mr .Jennings urged the Minister to postpone tho ballot for-the suctions until plaiw have )»>en circulated, and Mr Duncan has recommended that Hint course be adojited.