SOUTH ISLAND IMPRESSIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8159, 18 July 1906, Page 2

SOUTH ISLAND IMPRESSIONS.

INTERVIEW WITH ME JENNINGS, M.H.E. At the olose of the Parliamentary! session, Mr W. T. Jennings, M.H.E. for Egmont, made a flying trip through the South Island as far as Otago and Southland, where he lived in the early 70's. A News representative who had a chat with him on his return to New Plymouth, secured some of his " im. iressions." Mr Jennings, whilst prepared for some considerable change in the lapse of years, was much struck with the GUEAT IMPBOVEMKNTB

overywhero noticeable in the Soulh Island, more especially in regard to railways and roading facilities. There are no less tUan fifteen branch lines of railway between Dunedin and Inver. cargill. The railway Btalious and conveniences appeared to be of a very high class order, and while on this subjeot Mr Jennings remarked that he had had an opportunity of seeing the now railway station at Dunedin now being erected at a cost to the colony of i' 50,000, The Member fof Egmont made no oominent, but it is easily imagined that he east envious eyes upon the £50,000, for giving access to the Taranaki backblock'a, and relief to the settlers in the wilderness isolated by the miles of slush and mud. Whilst in Dunedin Mr Jennings «ays he was struck by the cheapness of Wearing apparel and the ordinary necessaries Of life, due, no doubt to the presence of local manufacturing firms, and the consequent saving of freights and charges that have to be paid by the consumer at a distance. Cheapness was not confined to the shops. He mentioned the remarkably low selling value of land In Otago. The Waimea Estate, out into forty sections of highly-improved land, had been sold during his visit to the South, and had averaged ONLY FtVK SOUNDS AS ACHE.

" And that was for improved farm land, mind yon," he remarked. Mr Jennings said he had seen "carded" outside a land- agent's office a home property (5-roomed house and two sections of land) in the town of Gore, to sell at £350! Other town sections were offering at equally reasonable rates, " Gore, I. might mention, is not by any means a place that is going back. New buildings are being erected all over the place, and the town presents every evidenoe of prosperity," remarked Mr Jennings. People down there would not put up with the valuations imposed here. The list assessments roused such a feeling of I indignation In 6he pitfc, it WfW Hit, yeti Although fhe farmers Wf« fsqnsqniences in every way, good roads and railways, | their land was assessed at a much lower rate than here in Taranaki. It was probably due to the fact that fhero was a Sootoh shrewdness in the Otago farmers, and they were real farmers who wanted to_ live on their farms and were not anxious to sell. "In a word, they are farmers, not farm land speculators P " we asked. "That's got it in a nutshell," answered Mr Jennings.

FABMKBS IN SOUTHIAND seemed to have had a very good year, notwithstanding the wet season, aud this had doubtless been due in some measure to the good price obtained for wool. The trip through Southland was not without incident, for on the night he stayed in Milton two people were killed by a falling treo and the destruction of a hut during a gale With the exception of that night the weather was fine during his visit to the south. Whilst at Dunedin, Air Jennings visited the Dunedin Hospital, Cavnrsham Ikn'evolent Home, Dunedin Technical School, and the Taiori and Peninsula dairy factory. The lasl made him " sing small" about the dairying industry in Taranaki, the Taieri being spoken of by Mr Eiddle, the managor, as the largest butter faotory in the world. Orer £20,000 has been spent by the company in buddings and machinery, and there are oyel ifcOOQ supplier*) to the concern from the district as far north asj Studholme Junction and south below 1 Gore. ."'I told the manager that ] thought I belongod to the dairying eentse of New Zealand," said Mr Jennings, "but that one visit settled me. Farmers can draw their own comparisons between the figures ] have quoted and our own factory returns." Talking of rural industries brought him to mention the huge crates of rabbits on every railway station, going off to the freezing works. Rabbitting seemed to have become quite an important and highly remuierative industry there.

At Christchurch the exhibition buildings were viewed, but the stay was too short to allow of more than a passing glance, it is an immense structure, and Christchurch people are full of enthusiasm as to the possibilities of the exhibition.

POMTICAt. "What is your idea of things political, Mr. ennings ? " queried our representative. "Oh, that's another matter, I notice the newspapers have been drawing a lot of conclusions for which there is probably little foundation. 1 believe the Party will get along all right and negotiate all the difficulties that appear to be looming up."

" But about Cabinet reconstruction ?" Mr Jennings was non-committal in his reply "In connection with the Cabinet reconstruction, the present Premier and Sir Joseph Ward will do what is in' life interests of the colony." Ife thought,' however, that country interests would be a factor that must affect Cabinet reconstruction, it any. The demand for country representation would have to be reckoned with.

" Don't you think, Mr Jennings, that the North Island is entitled to the vaoant portfolio f "

Yes, he did, Owing to the position of the North Island, from revenue and population points of view, it war entitled to fairer represent tion in the government of the country, "I am quite .saHs'liel that the North Jshnd members havo quite as grcaf capacity for government as tho southern members have," he added, with a smile.

" Our requirements in roads, bridgos and railways in the development of the North Island constituencies aro more potent reasons, I should think, iiija even our population and revenue figure? for *l}» b?it or representation in the Ministry j*"

Mr Jennings was coming to that, and wanted to lay particular stress on the point. The amount of settlement that had gone on recently was surprising. For instance, in tho Ohura district in 1902, when he was first returned for Egmont, there were only eleven voters. At the last election, in 1905, in the Ohura and adjoining districts there were close on 600 votes recorded, Rangitikei, Patea, and the southern portion of fh v e Waikato electorates showed the same progress. A great number of South Islanders were continually coming north, but the South Island representation seemed not to| diminish. As a result of Mr Jennings' trip south he is now mor« than oyer satisfied that tho settlement conditions in the two Islands are widely divergent. " Then you think that South Island members, city members especially, can havo no conception of our difficulties ?"

" Certainly not, unless they take the trouble to get in tho backblocks in the winter. North Island city members, however, are no hotter off than their South Island colleagues from the towns. I believe the worst-con-ditioned resident in a big city is in Injury compared with what may be seen in some of our nowly-sotfcled districts every day—tint is, so far g,s comfort is concerned. As a case jn point, I know of a man who is paying at the present time 24s 6d a cwt. for flour.'

Mr Jtnnings is convinced that tb. > North Island needs better Cabine represent ation, and that the country districts are suffering in : th.e ,sam.e way, At present jt seemed" thai fchV ,big centres were doing their utmost 'to have some PityJ|mnmber ike Cabinet '