BACKBLOCKS HARDSHIP.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 July 1921, Page 7

BACKBLOCKS HARDSHIP.

BAD CONDITION OF ROADS* OTHER TROUBLES OF SETTLERS. i Mr. R. Masters, M.P., who last week made a trip into the outlying portions of his electorate in order to see the worst ’•of the conditions under which his constituents carried on their farming, was very much impressed with the bad state of the roads and urgent need for road metal ; with which to improve conditions. In an interview with a Daily News representative Mr. Masters said, that it was the shortage of metal which was holding ■up the development of the district. So far as the climatic conditions were concerned, they left nothing to be desired, for the producing capacity of the land in the district visited was quite up to the standard of any other part of the province, accord- ' ing to its value, and the climatic conditions were favorable. The only drawback was the need of access and of good roads. Mr. Masters was very much impressed with the hardships of the present time that the settlers were undergoing, not only from I the bad roads, but also from the adverse ‘ market. Being engaged in the raising of j sheep and cattle, the settlers have been I struck particularly hard by the very heavy fall in prices that has taken place recently. As a result of this, they have been hard pushed for money with which to carry on, and quite a large number have turned their hands to milking cows. Again they are “up against it”, by reason of ’ the difficulty in getting their cream from the backblocks into the centres. Mr. Masters quoted one instance which gives a vivid impression of the hardships of the district. He went to one place where there was a soldier farmer who had ' taken up land with the intention of sheepI farming. As a result of the fall in prices he had disposed of his sheep and put cows on his place. From the shed at which he milks his cows he has to take the milk by sledge for a mile through his farm. Then he is met with virgin bush and has either to carry the cans on his back or else pack them through on I horseback. ' When he has traversed the ; bush he arrives at a river and has to carry 1 the cans on his back across an 18-inch swing bridge. On the other side of the ■ river he has to keep a horse to take his J cream to Tahunaroa, from whence it is taken twice weekly by the carrier and I carted to Whangamomona. From there jit is railed to Wanganui. That, said Mr. Masters, was only one of many similar instances that he came across during his tour. It should serve to show the hardships that. the settlers in that part of his constituencj’ are laboring under at the present time.

The member has formed the very strong opinion that whatever the Government expenditure is decreased as a result of the financial stringency there should on no account be any reduction so far as the construction of roads in the backblocks district is concerned, not only in this district, but in any other district in New Zea--1 land.