HARDY SETTLERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 192, 12 February 1914, Page 2

HARDY SETTLERS.

«. I HON'. W. I'RASER IN THE BACKBLOCKS. The journey which the Hou. \V. Fraacr made last week to Kawhia and the surrounding district brought him into touch with some of the beat features in New Zealand back-blocks life. A great part of the country which ho traversed is iu a backward state of development so far as roads and trackare concerned, but settlers are fairly numerous, and they are doiny a great deal to improve their holdings iu spite of the hardships and difficulties of their lot. Speaking to a Dominion reporter on his return, Mr. Fraser detailed some of his observations on a trip whicli he made from Lemon Point, an old mission station on Kawhia Harbor, back into the interior country. En route he m:t many settlers, some of whom had jour- | neyed twenty or thirty miles to inter- | view him. There is some very good laud, Mr. Fraser stated, to the southward of 1 Kawhia Harbor, but not very much has been done with it yet. Fern and bush are prominent details in the scenery, but .' a great deal of the bush is broken and rough, but some dairying is carried en. The construction of roads will cost a great deal, and they arc urgently required. The presence of unoccupied Native lands constitutes a serious barrier to progress. Practically all the laud round the fringe of Kawhia Harbor is owned by Maoris, and next to nothing is being done with it. There are one or two places where the Natives are working their farms, but a great proportion of the Maori land is hi its natural state. There is a large area of country to be opened up with roads, and the Minister was able to convey some hope to the settlers who have fought a hard battle for years past and to assure them tint their more pressing and immediate" requirements would receive early attention. Such roads as now exist in many parts of the district are very imperfect, and some of them mere tracks. Mr. Fraser states that he found the settlers very patient and reasonable, considering the position they are in. They did not expect impossibilitiM, and were content with bis assurance that he would do everything he possibly could to push ahead the development works which t\w district so badly needs. Although they endure many hardships am! live in isola tion, the settlers round about Kawhia and in the places further south which the Minister visited are n happy and healthy lot of people. They live «ontentodly and raise families and look forward to a time when better facilities For travel will bring them withi.i reach of some of the comforts and pleasures from which thev are now cut off.