IN THE BACK BLOCKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15056, 27 July 1912, Page 9

IN THE BACK BLOCKS.

SOME KING COUNTRY ROADS.

A SYMPATHETIC MINISTER.

URGENT NEED FOR ACTION

[BT TKLKGH-U-B.— STOMAL CORBESrONDEN"J }

Wellington". Friday. The Hon. W. Eraser (Minister for Public Works), who has returned from an official visit to tho King Country, says be was very much impressed by the character of the country. The land round about To Kuiti had great possibilities in front of it. Roads were the trouble. Tho district roads were about as bad as I hey could bo. Their state was inconceivable to anybody who had never seen them. Within ■a reasonable distance of To Kuiti were unlimited quantities of limestone metal, tho very best kind of metal that could bo obtained, but so far the wading problem remained unsolved. It was imperative that the Government, in conjunction with the local bodies, should devise some better methods of reading. The country ho had just, visited and seen was all nearly settled. Strenuous efforts must' be roado to remedy the present slate of the roads.

"One thing is evident," Mr. Eraser remarked. " The main thing to do is to construct the arterial roads. This must be done before money is spent on branch roads. Take tho case of settlers who are established 50 miles or more from To Kuiti. What is tho use of giving men so placed a, tew miles of metalled branch road, leading to a main highway, if they cannot travel on the highway when they get to it?"

Speaking of the difficulties thai, settlers havo to overcome, Mr. Frascr said that in some parts of the district, he had just visited farmers carried their cream in front of them on the saddle over some miles of country to a point at which the cream was collected, and from which it- was carried on pack-horses a distance of over 15 miles to the nearest place from which it could be sent by railway to the factory. This, Mr. Eraser said, would give «m» idea of wliat these men had to do to enable them to earn enough to pay for their land and to live. Of the settlers themselves with whom he came in contact., the Minister spoke in terms of unstinted praise. •' There are a lot of young fellows up there," he said, "of as lino a stamp, I am sure, as you will find anywhere in New Zealand."