IN THE NORTH.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 February 1917, Page 2

IN THE NORTH.

PARLIAMENTARY TRIP. THE CONCLUDING STACK. No. vnr. On the Monday morning the party loft Helensville liy steamer for Mititai, .about, seven miles down the river on the opposite Fide of the town, en route for ■ltimwai, Paparoa and 'Port Albert. For most of the distance the route skirted the Kaipara, which has numerous i nlets. The country is very varied in character, some of it—t!ie drained swamps, particularly—being exceedingly rich, whilst large tracts comprised the familiar gum land in various stages of development. At Ruawai, Raupo and Naumai grass, mostly paspalum, was in abundance.. Dairying evidently is the mainstay of these localities. One of the settlers informed the writer that he was carrying a beast to the aero, and in spring and summer could not keep down the feed. At Paparoa the party stopped for luncheon, a large number of settlers turning out. Paparoa boasts a very commodious hall, and bears an air of prosperity, the homes in the district being for the most part fine and comfortable. The nearest connection with the railway is at Alaungaturoto, some distance inland, which the party passed hrough on their upward journey, and thither the party headed for a second dinner, which the good settlers had provided. The land en route is fairly light and diverse in quality, but it is coming in, and some day will carry a larger population. In and around Manngaturoto the land improves, and the district has the name of being good for grazing. Small steamers run up the arm of the Kaipura and trade with Helensville. There is a dairy factory with an output of between 1-50 and 200 tons, but sheep are the mainstay. There are a couple of sawmills.

Manngaturoto contains some sturdy =ettlers, as may be deduced from the fact that it has gone in for a private telephone association, independent of the Government, nearly every liomestead being linked up, • • At the dinner, which the party hud "■oinc diffidence in tackling after partaking_of the one at Paparoa but two hours before, the member for Egmont was 'called upon to speak, and he administered some advice on self-reliance and

self-help that the. north as a whole is in need of applying to itself. It isn't, of "ourse, popular to point out- these home truths in a province that is ever looking to the Government for help and waiting for that help to turn jp, but the member for Egmont was only statin? what was uppermost in the minds of the majority of the party. The organisers had taken precautions to notify farmers along the route to have their stock out for exhibition, and where there wa? not a hoof to be seen on the way north, there were hundreds of sheep and cattle, all of which looked ; " the best of condition.

From Wellsford the party- struck to

vards the Kaipara again, making for Port Albert, where the night .was to be •; cut. This is a very old settlement, he original settlers, a Wesleyan comnmvity, many of whom still remain, ?ming out on the forty-acres per man. woman and child system. The land is nonr, and the settlers had for many ■oars a hand-to-mouth existence. Then lhe~"fruifc industry -was started, and for some years past it has remained the' nainstay. The soil is very suitable for Mm growth of the Dougherty apple, •i*nont 800 acres being devoted to this class of fruit. The districts also graws ■ oine fine stone fruit, such as peaches ;ind nectarines, but the crops generally 'his year have been on the light side. 't takes a good while for orchards to line into profit, for before planting -belter belts have to be grown. The good folk hero gave us a very -ordial reception. In the evening there were more speeches by our legislators ind one or two by local residents, who wanted the Government to provide metalled roads to enable them to take (heir fruit, to the railway in winter, but bad no thought of rating themselves for the purpose, as people in other parts have to do. That evening, the party wore billettcd with the settlers, the vriter's party being put down at the local accommodation house, presided over by a dear old lady who was as kind as she was gracious. The surroundings were very old-fashioned and restful, and the regret was that we could not stop longer. Next morning the party headed for Helensville, forty miles over roads that had not sfcn metal or a grader. Still, as roads go in the north, they were good, and excellent time was made. The country was somewhat desolate looking. At one time it was evidently covered with kauri, and kauri always takes the richness out of' the laud. But that this loor looking land can be made to produce good grass was shown at one place where on one side of the road were ■plendid fields of grass and oats, whilst on the other side was the ti-tree covered, pipe-clay land, actually being picked over by gum-diggers. The party stopped where one old digger was hard at interrogated him regarding his winnings. "Don't do much these days," he said. "You see, thi-- ground has been picked over before, and l"m going deeper. Can't make anymore than about 12s a week." Asked how he could live on this, he sai'd he and some others camped down in a gully. They grew some vegetables, and lived simply, and the money they got for their gum just about kept body and soul together. It was suggested that he might do better, oii a farm, for instance, where there was a call for labor. "Not much!" he exclaimed; "I worked for a boss in the 'sixties and he swindled me out of my wages. I vowed then I would not work for another man whilst I lived, and -I'm not going to start now!" One of tho M.P.'s suggested lie could claim the old-age pension, which would supplement his earnings and make life more endurable. "Not much, sir" he replied; "I can earn my own living; I have always done so, and I'm going to till my end comes!" Tho party showed their admiration for his sturdy independence by taking up a "tarpaulin muster" and handing the money over to him. He was very diffident about accepting it. Gum-digging appeals to the independent life's failures. Writer spoke to another man near Whangarei, and though he earned no more than 15s a week (and had to keep a wife and two children on this!) he appeared quite contented, and bad no desire to take more remunerative work that entailed regular hours. The country improve-, a 'jood deal as you near Helensville, v.-iiU-h is a town of about. 1000 inhabitants, mi.i prettily situated. There are some exi'i-ileiit patches of level country well suited for graziiuji

nnil dairying,' and it H not surprising to learn that the district is prtwess'in" rapidly. One section of the party here left tlio cars and took train for Auckland, whilst llie major section visited the local Mghts and places of interest between Helensville and Auckland.