A TRIP THROUGH THE SOUTH

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLIV, Issue XLIV, 8 March 1924, Page 9

A TRIP THROUGH THE SOUTH

PARLIAMENTARIANS ON TOUR

Mr. J. R. Corrigan, M.P., has just recently returned from a trip through Marlborough, Nelson, West Coast, across to Canterbury, and through the southern lakes district and Southland. It was, he said to a Star representative, a most interesting time, especially the latter part, when he joined a number of members of Parliament, forming a party that included several Ministers, and made a traverse of most of the southernmost province. The only other Taranaki M.P. with them was Mr. O. Hawken. He said he was immensely struck with the Southland country, much of which is of excellent quality and as good as anything in the Dominion.

. Mr. Corrigan was not so keen on the West Coast, though parts were very good. He was struck with the scenery en route, and said it was, in his opinion, equal in grandeur to anything he had seen in his travels abroad. In parts he saw country resembling very closely the Trossachs of Scotland.

He said the farming country in some parts was looking very well indeed, but in the district stretching from Palmerston South to Christchurch the country was burnt up and was evidently having a bad time.

One of the oldest farmers in the North Otago district stated last week that he had not experienced such a poor harvest for the last 25 years. The failure of the oat crop had"* been particularly pronounced. The harvest would not have been so bad, he said, had it not been for the withering winds in the month of November.