SETTLEMENT IN THE KING COUNTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 244, 12 October 1917, Page 6

SETTLEMENT IN THE KING COUNTRY.

ITo the Editor.) Sir.—Tho following statement will show you how thp Minister of Railways) and "Our Bill" fail to give a square deal to the settlers of Kopaki, a small township on the Slain Trunk line, fourteen miles south of Te Kuiti. There are about one hundred settlers and their families on the land served by the Kopaki (lac station, and although the various settlements have been occupied within the laet five or six years, the Railway Departraent have done nothing whatever towards providing trucking yards for stock or a goods shed for the requirements of the district. Thousands of pounds' worth of stores, groceries, seeds, and manure have to be dumped on the ground insufficiently covered by sheets (which are not always available), and thereby exposed to the particularly moist climate of the King- Country, with the result that there in a heavy loss incurred by the settlers every" year. While the settlers have also beeii forced to erect a temporary cattle loading yard at their own expense, the sheep yard provided by the Railway Department holds (10 sheep only (enough to fill one truck), and it frequently happens that when sheep or cuttle are being loaded on trucks mobs of them break away and gallop up and down the railway line", riskins- the lives of passengers in passing trains. Recently several cattle were killed or damaged by a passing train. If a fast travelling mail train ran into a mob of stock the result of the smash would probably derail the train and cause the loss of human lives. I may state, although Te Kuiti and Kopaki are. only fourteen miles apart, there is no road between the two places, and at the present time stock have to be driven about 35 miles over awful roads. The opening of this main arterial road is> a pressing necessity to enable the settlers <o drive or ride to the nearest business centre, Te Kuiti. To show you that the , iettlers are progressive and have helped themselves to the best of their ability, within the last two years; they have built a co-operative sale yards, holding regular stock sales, and ha «-c also rated themselves heavily to borroV £10,000 to metal the main road from the stntion into the settlement, and the Government have not provided one penny towards the cost of this work. There are also thousands of pounds' worth of stock, wool, and dairy produce railed from Kopaki annually, and about £10.000 worth of goods arrive there every year, which will be largely increased In a year or two, there being thousands of acres of land as yet unimproved in the district. The requirements of the district were pointed out to the Minister of Railways by a deputation last year, rhe result being (Taihoa. Xo money). The settlers consider they are justly entitled ■to some assistance from the Government. £500 propnrlv spent would provide reasonable trucking yards and goods shed. Hoping 'Our Bill" will justify his motto of "square deal." I am. etc.. BAOKBLOCKS SETTLER. TCopnki, September 2G, I!U7.