HARDSHIPS OF PIONEERING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13767, 4 June 1908, Page 3

HARDSHIPS OF PIONEERING.

A well-known cx-Maiiawatu resident, who, since, January last, has been living at-Ka-whia, has given a rcmarkablo instanco of 'he hardships of pioneering in his new district. Tho hardships apparently are mostly tho result of the difficulty of procuring labour. Tho settler (Mr. R. Were, ex-chairman of the Kairanga County Council) had just arrived at Hamilton from Kawhia, striking the Main Trunk lino at To Kuiti. At Kawhia, he said, he owned 2000 acres, 1000 of which were bush, and tho other 1000 felled und partly cleared. Since January the portion of the cleared land that had been grassed had been swept by fire, and the whole 1000 acres had to be sown. Labour was absolutely unprocurable, although a shilling an hour and " found ''" were offered, and the settler and his two sons set heroically to work to do the task themselves. Tho seed was " packed " from To Kuiti by the settler's daughters, and by dint of working doggedly day after day the whole 1000 acres, requiring six tons of seed, was at last covered. Mr. Were felt the sensations of the record-breaker. The Kawhia. ho said,' was good country, but there were great obstacles to settlement. When the roads were in good condition, the charge for tho carriage of goods from To Kuiti was £5 a ton. At present the roads were soft and heavy traffic was impossible. The charge for packing worked out at J>d per lb.