SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

Evening Star, Issue 13014, 8 January 1907, Page 7

SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

AUCKLAND. January 8. Mr Stringer. general secretary to the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company, when interviewed by a ‘ Herald’ ropre.cntativo. said he had just returned from a visit to Canterburv. It was the fact that some of the best” Canterbury farmers were, selling out and coming to Auckland to settle. 'lho South Island was now ;eltled. and if a settler desired to come in ho had to buy another man’s farm, so that the trend of settlement must be to Auckland, then the South Island export trade was at the maximum, or nearly so. while the Auckland export trade lias onlv just commenced. Iho cnalitv of the meal going through from .. -ckhind during the last year laid lieeti of the very best, and prices had been high. Farmers had been reaping great benefit, but unfortunately buyers had suffered somewhat. The big" rise in price of beef and reduction in freight bad meant a tiemendous trade, and 8,000 quarters were frozen in November alone, while there was' another very heavy shipment going forward by the Mainari. ' Canterbury was anticipating a very short season and pour quality of mutton and, lamb owing to iho drought, but Auckland'had expci united a beautiful season, and the quah y of its meat could not bo better than at present. WELLINGTON, January 8.

Business people are talking of the good land soon to be offered to the public in the province of Nelson, the country in which so much good hind of the pastoral quality has been laid aside by the hand of monopoly for so mativ years. Nelson is the province in which a prominent early colonist, who fortunately missed the fruit of some well-laid plans, expressed his disappointment to the man who foiled him in his monopolising projects bv declaring that he had deprived him of the chance of a dukedom. It ap-j»-ars that men came cut to this colony in these days to pick up unconsidorcd land values, which they perfectly understood the value 01. in older to got rich and found toadies to flourish far away from “those . :.iy colonies. - ’ Now it appears as if i ... whirligig of time were bringing its rev.cges on those " ideal” pioneers of colon.sation. It is worthy of note in this connection that the most capable and the most drtermined officer of the Lands Department, Mr Flanagan, was sent to the Nelson district to lake up the duties of the commissionership about six months ago. Thera was reason for the selection, for Mr Flanagan is the very man to get the lands selected and put aside regardless of the local clamor. Of course, the lands loft in this part of the colony are only pastoral, but pastoral land is nowadays—which are days of wool and dairies—something like the pick of the creation. The Hon. Mr Fowlds will be in Christ-, church in a few days as Resident Minister at the Exhibition On the 25rd inst. he leads a party of politicians round the West Coast Sounds in the Hincmoa. Politics arc. it is understood, unusually lively in the brisk land of the populous west. The factious kakapo and kiwi required diplomatic attention. It is a time of tension requiring a Minister and a Government majority. A rathe good story is told about Mr vFpwlds. and hla old fathcr, _ who, _as_ we all

know by 5 this time, turned . the century about the middle of last year. The old gentleman wrote his son the other day that hj» thought ho would hive to give up his loom’work, whereupon the-son wrote that he was ashamed to think that the father, at his'time of life should feel like shirking ,his work. .

We arc on the verge of a water, famine, but if it does come it will be the last for ;ome time in our history, for wc are getting very large reservoirs built in addition to those we already possere. If rain does not come in February there -will be a cry for water throughout the greater: part of the ciiv.