MAIN TRUNK LINE. GOOD PROGRESS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 28, 3 February 1908, Page 3

MAIN TRUNK LINE. GOOD PROGRESS.

MEMBERS' VIEWS. Visitors who are now coming over the riain Trunk line and who knew tho district a few years ago, say ths progress that has b?en mads is lemarkable. Messrs. A. E. Remington, M.P., and W. T' Jennings, M,.!1., havo jusfc complet-ad the journey in company with the Hon. Mr. M'Nab (Minister for Lands). Mr. Jennings, M.P. for Egmont, who ■lode from Te Kuiti to Ka,noi in 1895, told a Post reporter that he was struck >vith tho marvellous* development both in regard to settlemsnt on the land and in business connections that has taken place within a few years. "As an instance, of the progress of business I may mention that at T© Kuiti, when I first contested the seat m 1902, there wero only two trains per weok from Auckland. At tho present tima there are six trains per daythroe in and three out. The settlement on W> iand in the Ohura, Alia, and Mairoa (Southern Kawhia) districts has been wonderful. In tho Ohura the votes afc the election in ISO 2 amounted to 11, whereas in the. election in 1905 300 votes wero recorded. This coming „ election it is anticipated thero will bs over 600 votes theie. This is typical of the great increase in population in less than four years. In Taumarunui three years ago there wero only some lour houses. To-day tho population in that district numbers about 6CO, the majority of whom are engaged in sawtnillirtg. Manunui, y.hich did not have any European residents less than three years ago, has now a considerable population. There are three large sawmills there, one oi' which belongs t to the, Puponga Company. This plaos 6howe the most rapid development of the • settlement along the North Island j Main TrunkN Railway. Thero are be- j tween 400 and. 500 men employed about the district in sawmilling and bush- - felling.' At Ractihi I spent .two days 1 in going over the district, and was surprised at ths naturo of .the country, which, for stock purposes, is second to nono that I have ssen in tha Eohepotae country. If the difficulty "which exists, owing to ths large blocks of native land ' being unoccupied, was got >over I feel quite satisfied that *tha extraordinary development of the King Country would be accelerated^ in a marked degree. SOME DRAWBACKS. "I was glad to get the Minister foi Lands to bieak his journey at Tc Kuiti. 'It was the Minister's first visit there, and 'ho heard from representative stt-tl-ers the drawbacks under which they labour owing 1 to various causes, including the fact that both Tc Kuiti and Tarunariiuui are held under short native leases. The settlers made forcible representations ip cenneclion with these matters. The- statements that have been made abont_ the vKing Country by persons who have" viewed it chiefly from tho /windows of the railway carriages are -ridiculous to those who know tho inner parts of the Rohepotae district. It is impossible for persons to speak of ths King Country unless they havo been back from the railway line from ten to forty miles. The railway is rapidly approaching completion, there being only twenty miles between Oha-, 1 kune and Waimarino. As showing the great increase- of passenger traffic, I may mention that ten largo coaches meet the train every day. In reference to tho Public Works carriages, which ■are certainly of an inferior class, while passengers fully that the dust -nuisance cannot- be 'provided -against, ths absence of water in the 'lavatories, etc., might easily be remedied. SPEED OF TRAINS. ' "In regard to tho statement made by Mr. - Wilford in connection with the railway from P6ro-o-tarao to Ongaruhe, I ha\o travelled over that line for the past five years by jigger, motor-jigger, goods train, and the express, and I have nevar felt the dangerous swaying that he has spoken of. I have felt more of that sensation going from the Summit to'tho Hutt, and from Hawera to Patea. During the five years that the trains havo been running up and down there has only been one slight accident." INCREASE OF SETTLEMENT. Mr. A. E. Remington, M.P., speaking on the subject of the remarkable increase of settlement along the line said : —"There has been a wonderful development in the Mohakuyie and Rangataua districts. Sawftiilling is now getting into full swing, but, the millers make serious complaints about tli2 charge" of 8d per hundred feet for conveyance by tho Public Works Department to Mataroa, from whence it goes on in the ordinary train. Th& ordinary charge would bo only 2d per hundred. This iccans a handicap of 6d per hundred. Gonbideriug the circumstances, the exporters have a good claim 'for consideration. "The farming community in ths Waimarino district," .eaid Mr. Eemington, "are doing exceptionally well this seaeon. • Dairy farmers ■ supplying tlie Eaetihi Dairy Factory tell me that the milk supply 13 nearly as abundant as it was in December. Thd drought has .not affected them to any appreciable extent. With the increased censump-'' tion of buttor in that district, they fear that their dairy factory will not be able to make' sufficient for local 'requirements —a marked change to three years ago, when they had to eend all they could down by the Pipiriki-road to Pipinki, 'and* then by steamer to Wanganui, with a consequent deprecia> tion in tha value of the article." , EAETIHI AS A BUSINESS ' CENTRE. "Ths business t6V.'nship of Raetihi v 'with 1 the- more up-to-date buildings that are going up, gives o%idence that thera is- confidence in the future of Eaetihi as a business centre. The Ohotu block 1 settlers express deep satisfaction at th? burns they havo "had. Grasssowing is now going on, and everything points to a very considerable area v of the sheep-farmjnt» district bringing its trade into Raetihi. Generally speaking, the appearances aro thoso of healthy prosperity. There is ono matter to which tho attention of ths authorities should be called, and that is thiL. thero must be an enormous increase in thG supply of trucks if the ■working railways arc to cops with the output of produce, timber, et<\ Tho authorities do not seem to realise what an enormous amount of traffic is to come from that district."