ACCESS TO FARMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 7, 9 January 1930, Page 6

ACCESS TO FARMS.

Backblocks settlers always' "wish to take a visiting Minister over the worst road in the 5 district, but they do not always succeed. On his present tour, however, the Minister of : Public Works appears to have been introduced to "horrible examples" as horrible as even North Auckland can provide, and the necessity 1 for giving relief to marooned settlers was duly impressed upon him. No other Minister,' it was said, had penetrated so far. Mr. Ransom was sympathetic towards the strong representations made to him,. but he was "largely of opinion" that settlement should precede good - roading. This will arouse a good deal of J criticism. It will be pointed out that this i policy has led to the isolation of numbers of 5 settlers in various parts of the country with 1 the result that money has. been lost and farmers and their families have suffered in ! mental and physical health. Hearts have been ' broken in the struggle. Mr. Ransom says that only now, after fifty years, is his own property of 4000 acres ' reached by a good road. Hitherto he has had to take out his wool bv • bullock wagon. One would like to be able io t make a close comparison between his conditions and those of remote settlers in the North. Lack of roads may injure the small farmer far more than the big one. It may be one thing to take out wool once a year and quite another thing to take out cream once, or twice a week. No doubt Mr. Ransom is already prepared to qualify his remark, and a, little more knowledge of our Northern conditions will show him how all-important roads arc to the small farmer.