THE EAST COAST RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13235, 21 July 1906, Page 6

THE EAST COAST RAILWAY.

WAIMANA AND KUTURERE.

OHIWA TO OPOTIKI.

'THE GREAT EASTERN PENINSULA.

THREE MILLION ACRES.

THE INVASION OF GRASS.

No. VII.

[BY OUR SPECIAL COMMISSIONER.]

I Left Taneatu.'t and rode up the valley of the Waimana, my 'destination being Knturere. This route not only follows that of t the proposed East Coast railway,...but is the most direct outlet- for -i he Waimana Estate, which the Government have decided to acquire for close settlement, and which will no doubt soon be thrown open to the ballot.

The valley of the Waimana is exceedingly picturesque; the low wooded hills coming down in places to the very edge of the beautiful swift-running river. Until quite recently the .'tract followed the bed of the river, and when there was a fresh on it was impassable, and at the best of times one had to ford the stream a great number of times. Now. however, a well-graded track funs on the side of the valley, and the old difficulties of the Waimana River have disappeared.

I struck off from the Waimana Valley along what is known as the Stanley Track. This led me through nearly 20 miles of bush country, much of which is of good character, and which is being taken up rapidly. About nine years ago this country was thrown open for selection by the Government at 7s 6d per acre, but very few people took advantage of the chance. Some, did, however, and have had no reason ■to regret it. I saw one farm of. 1000 acres on my way, which four years ago was sold for £1100. A few weeks ago the owner was offered £4 an acre for the property and refused it. After seeing the grass and the stock it was carrying I admire the owner's discrimination. The stretch of country between Taneatua and Kuturere consists for the most part, of low and fairly easy hills. There seems to be a good depth of soil everywhere, and wherever the bush had been cleared and grass sown there was excellent pasturage. There was, however, not much clearing visible, but this is not to be wondered at, considering that for many years rich alluvial flats have been available. Now, however, that all the level country is occupied men : are turning their attention to the bush-covered hills, and no doubt the seemingly endless stretch of forest through which I rode will soon be carrying grass and stock. It is carrying both in places, but. the clearings are very wide apart at present. ■f-'I had been cautioned when leaving Taneatua not to take a turning to the right or I should go on to Waimana. and not to turn to the left or I should fetch back at Whakatane, .■■when J met a Maori after some hours' riding I asked him if I'was on, the road to Kuturere. "Oh, Kuturere," replied the Maori jauntily. '" It just down there. Not far.".

"How. many miles:-" I asked. "0 pout mile and a-half."

•'Do you turn off anywhere or go straight on?" Yes," replied the Maori. I went on. After that I rode about three miles, and then saw a house close to the road, and; felt sure I was at Kuturere. I dismounted, and asked the usual question, and was not surprised at the answer: "Wo reckon it is, live and ; a-half miles to the bridge. Can't say how far it is beyond the bridge: but it's a. good distance." " , I rode on through solitary bush country, and descended into a deep"gorge. . It was nearly dark, but not too dark" for me to notice that the tackled stream. • I felt sure that up stream would take me' away from the Ohiwa Harbour, and consequently from Kuturere. But. I was wrong, for tho track led over a bridge, over fern hills, and to'the settler's house, post office, and store combined, which constitutes Kuturere. Kuturere is situated at the head of the Ohiwa Harbour, and when the East Coast railway is constructed will, no doubt, become quite an important place.- The Ohiwa Harbour is certainly the best port on the coast between Tauranga and Gisbornc, and there has been much talk of connecting' it with Opotiki by means of a railway. There is about 15ft of water on the Ohiwa bar. at high tide, and the entrance is quite safe. A scheme is also being put forward to dam the Waiotahi River, and throw its waters across a low flat into the Ruatuna arm of the Ohiwa. This, it is said, would scour out the bar to a greater depth, and give a navigable channel almost up to Kuturere. At the present time freight from Ohiwa to Auckland on general cargo is . 25s per ton, £1 per head on cattle or horses, Is 6d per head on sheep, and Is per case oh fruit. Ohiwa is evidently a good fruit country. I saw apples there of exceptional size and flavour. The low hills can be turned into very fair sheep pasture, and-there are big areas of land to be obtained at a very low price. In the Waiotahi Valley., and in several other valleys debouching into the Ohiwa, there are extensive. alluvial flats. ■

I should say that this district possesses considerable advantages for moderately close settlement. The land is of fair quality, even on the hills, and as most of the country about is ploughable, it could soon be made very productive. The hill slopes and valleys would grow heavy root crops, and owing to-- its geographical . position it could draw its stock from a very wide area of country. A track connects it with the upper portions of the Waimana and Whakatane Rivers, and there is a big stretch of country away to the south-east, which would find its outlet in this direction when once it is opened to settlement.- Ohiwa is a crreat Maori place. It was here that Te Kooti died under a- willow tree, here that he was buried, here where his old followers stole his body and carried it off, no one but they know where. It was about Ohiwa that Riia, the prophet, lived aud worked before he was inspired, and where the greater number of his followers still are to be found.

In my previous articles I have dealt almost entirely with the lands fringing the coast, and have shown" that owing to the absence of anything like suitable port* a railway is absolutely essential to their full development. Between Tauranga,, and Matata an East Coast railway would serve country running inland for an average distance of about 20 miles, and then the fall of the hills and the trend .of freight would be toward the Rotorua. line and the Hot Lake region. Beyond Matata the country westward, or rather southward, of the line runs back for twice 20 miles, without roads, without railways, and all,thin vast territory drains toward the Bay of Plenty and must- feed the East Coast railway. This part of the North Island is almost terra-incognita at the present day, and unfortunately much of it is in the hands of the Maoris, and. therefore, is idle. It cannot long remain so, for the land hunger in New Zealand is too strong to allow the present bad legislation to continue, and in the near future this great tract of country must be settled.

KUTURERE TO OPOTIKI. Between Kuturere and Opotiki, a distance of 14 miles, the country is all moderately low and offers every facility for easy railway construction. When the East Coast line is started this should be one of the first sections undertaken, for it is claimed that it would pay almost as soon as opened, and certainly it would give a tremendous impetus to farming and settlement.-'■''; .-, ■ "\ . It is characteristic of the. Bay of Plenty that bordering the coast are great flats and wide open valleys. They are to* be found at intervals all the way from Tauvariga to Opotiki, and Opotiki- is the last of the big valleys, for beyond that place the hills of the. , great eastern peninsula come, down to the sea, and there is no great ';,.extent of level country until Gisborne is reached. 1-- ' : '

:■ , - - .■■.- _ _ ! It is really incorrect to describe Opttiki as it valley." It is an aflmdaP plain, evidently built up "' in ; tho.': course of ages : by : the Waioeka. and Otara vers, and the valleys of /these •'•wets, merge into the plain. The flat country about OpotJknis; undoubtedly among tin};, richest in New Zealand. The district ' has produced .large quantities of maize for many : rears part, arid annually exports from 20,000 to 50.000 sacks '.of ■ tins cereal. ■ 'It' 'is' excellently adapted' for ; growing.; wheat and other grain crops, whilst its pastures rank among the finest in the 'world for dairying or fattening stock-. The Opotiki County contains approximately; 1650 square miles, or 1,056,000 acres, and I'm a frontage extending front Ohiwa Harbour to Cape Runaway. Apart from the exceptionally rich flats and valleys, the biggest proportion of the county ranks as good pastoral country and there is no exaggeration in saying that there arc more than a million acres within the Opotiki boundaries that would carry on an average two sheep to the aero l when grassed. A few days previous to my visit a ballot was held lor sections totalling somewhere, about 16,0X0 acres of hill land; in the Waioeka, Urutawa, and Waiawa Blocks, and every section with the exception of two was immediately taken up, whilst far some there were over » hundred applications. So great was the demand for this class of land that Another block of _ over 30.000 acres is already being cut up '..into sections, and will 'be thrown open as early as possible, whilst it is absolutely certain that as fast as these Opotiki County', lands can v be. opened they will be settled. If the East" Coast railway goes inland , from Opotiki, via. Motu. to Oishor.no. it will cut right through the western half of the Opot'ki County, and will tap what is undoubtedly the finest and largest pastoral district in New Zealand.

Southern people may ask why Auck- ■ landers desir.e- that the "East Coast railway should be pushed ahead as. fust, if not faster, than any South Island line. The answer is obvious enough. It would open up greater areas of good land than any new South Island railway. It would encourage more settlement and convenience a greater population. If all the country between Waihi and Opotiki were barren and unpopulated, it would still be of advantage to the colony at large to.connect this Opotiki County with the Auckland railway system. Besides the Opotiki County, this East Coast railway would intersect, or rather bisect, the Cook County, which has an area of 1,000,000 acres, and would give connection with the Waiapu County, with its area of 800,000 acres. ■ "

Here, then, at the southeastern extremity of this proposed East Coast railway is an area of country totalling close on 3,000,000 acres, all of'which would be, benefited' by the construction of the line, and all of whit!) will earn,' stock and population.' Mr. Gow, chairman of the Opotiki County Council, speaking at a. meeting of the- Auckland Railways League, said his district. formed part of one which he' believed was second to none in the North Island, unless it v were that vast extent of fine grazing country between Wellington and New Plymouth. He believed that between Gisborne and Opotiki was one of the finest and best grazing districts in- the whole of the colony, and that' it should have remained in its present condition long, was a. blot on the administration of, all the Governments that had been carrying on the affairs of the colony." 'fl can thoroughly endorse Mr. Gow's contentions*. , That this eastern portion of the North Island between Tauranga and Gisborne should have remained so long without a railway is : nothing less than a disgrace to the various Governments and politicians who have held.the reins of power and' made grants for. public works..' The' Opposition party has: been just as much to blame• as the Government party for neither has recognised the" potentialities of this part of New Zealand. It would be pertinent to ask in the House of Representatives, when grants for ways are being made, what area of settleablo lands will be opened by the Midland, "the . Otago Central, and the Oheviot-Picton line, and whether any of them, or all of them together, will open up as much good country as the East Coast line. • ■ -' ..:• ■■..■ ■-

Opotiki is a decidedly pretty and pros- i perous place. Its rich well-settled flat j country is backed by' Jong hill slopes, up which the ware of new • grass is creeping. Forests .still lie denso ; , and deep on the; higher lands,'but the giant trees and luxuriant undergrowth are going down faH be; fore the settlor's axe and fire. That fringe of green grass marks the, invasion of one of the greatest 'areas : of timbered country in New Zealand. ; Taking a line due south of Opotiki, there is a stretch of at least 100 miles of bush, for ,it rims right clown to: the northern shores of Hawke'.* Bay. The grass will creep : on, and at"no distant time will swallow every acre of bush. We may regret the destruction of forests, ;but, ; after all, they are only of value to man when they are cut down, and '. it is better for us and for future generations that men should occupy this country, rather than trees. The march of grass" is I southward from ; the Bay of Plenty, and northward from'Hawke's ißay. Nothing can stop it now it has started. It is marching up the valleys of the Wairoa and I, the ,-Waiou. It is marching up the Waioeka and the Waiawa. It will overwhelm the Urewei'a country more surely than any advance of troops, and break down the barriers of Maori exclusiveness more thoroughly than any form of legislation. : It will change the shape of the so-called everlasting hills, and alter the very climate. It will produce more wealth than all the gold mines in the country, and its. products; will go to the very ends of the earth. ' It is not many years ago since I saw the forests clothing the great eastern peninsula, coming down to the edge of the sea from Waiawa to Gisborne, and to-day the short spears of grass have beaten tack the giant trees, almost out of sight of the coast. To-day I see the little green fringe of grass attacking the hill slopes that back Opotiki, and when I come clown to visit the place by the East Coast express*. I shall expect to hear that the grass. has readied Waikaremoana. The salvation of that ' 3.000.000 acres I have described lies in grass, : It will force * the construction of the railway, beat down insufferable Maori land legislation, beat down political op-; position, as it will beat down the forests, and if given over to sheep feeding alone will add at least £2,000,000 a-year to the national income.