A NEW PROVINCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18356, 23 March 1923, Page 11

A NEW PROVINCE.

THE TONGARIRO DISTRICT.

MAORI FARMERS.

RAILWAY COMMUNICATION.

[BY OUR SPECIAt COMMISSIONER.] VIII. ] It is frequently difficult lo find names which will effeciively describe certain dis- , tricts in New Zealand. I happened to use the term "South Taupo" whilst conversing , with some friends at Tokaanu. Objection . was at once made to this term. "People ' will think," said one objector, "that you ; n.ean merely south of Taupo township, ( which is at the north end of the lake." , "But what nåme can I use ?" I asked, and ■ Mr. Jones, of the Nativo Land Court said, : "Why not ' Tongariro ' ?" and he-quoted | I the saving, "Tongariro the mountains, Taupo the lake, Tuwharetoa the people, and Te Heuheu the chief." "And there is the Tongariro River and the Tongariro National Park," added Judge Acheson— "and the Tongariro railway." I did not know then that Tongariro was the general nåme which the Maoris apply to that trio of great volcanic peaks which includes Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe, but since it does, and also manv other important features, and it is good to have descriptive names, there are reasons why this most interesting district should be known as Tongariro. The j Tongariro district embraces the widespread | area of lands about the south portiona Of Lake Taupo, extends westward as far j as the Main Trunk line, eastward to the j Kaimanawa Mountains, and southward to I Waiouru. This forms roughly a great tri- j anglo with its base to the north and lts apex to the south. It includes great areas of level plains and undulating country, which is well adapted for settlement; vast stretchos of valuable timber forests; one of tho most wonderful thermal regi ms in the world; the majestic group of volcanic mountains which now form the National Park; some of the finest trout-fishing streams known to anglers, and many other interesting and important features. At the present time it is one of the most sparsely-populated parts of New Zealand, and is certainly the least settled or cultivated if one excludes the Urewera and the West Coast nord districts, both of which are too mountainous for cultivation, and thereforo not adapted for settlement. The altitudo of all the Tongariro lands is well over 1200ft. above sea-level, and much even of the level areas are between 2000ft. and 3000ft,, but since the latitude is on each side of 39deg. south it is about equal to Southern Spaiii, Italy, Greece, plus the altitude with an island-.instead of a continental climate, Maoris and Settlement. At the present time Maoris predominate in the population of the Tongariro district, numbering several hundred. They are principally the Ngatituwharetoas, a tribe famous in tradition and in our own history and noted for their mtelligence and generosity. They gave to the nation this most valuable portion of the National Park, and not long ago gave tho Ohaupo Block of 45,000 aore s for the benefit of returned soldicrs. I have already described their enterprise in starting a modem and well equipped cooperative dairy factory and in construct- , ing a metalled road at their own oxpense between Waihi and Tokaanu. Mr. Dempsey, the manager of their dåiry factory, speaks highly of their capacity as dairy farmers, and Mr. D. Blain, the . manager of the Prison Departmenfs farm at Hautu, told me that quite a number of the native land owners had inspectcd the work being done there and were enger to learn about the best methods of putting in grass and crops, . and were akeady following the most 1 modorn systems. It is almost certain ' that we "shall see in this district quite ' soon a great increase in agricultural pro- [ duction, and it will be to the Maoris that [we shall owe much of it. But it will ; be through their own efforts and not ! through any help that the State will give, ' for the State is doing practically nothing ; to help either pakehas or Maoris to dei velop this great wonderful new province in the heart of the North Island. The Ngatituwharetoas still own vast tracts of land in the Tongariro district, and have substantial cevenues coming in from royalties on their great timber forests westward of the lake, but they lack capital and financial organisation to enablo them to prepare and equip new farms. Ownorship of land is not the only essential to successful settlement;

hard cash is absolutely necessary in order to provide implements,' machinery, seeds, manur.es, stock, buildings, etc, without which farming cannot- be carried on. Quite reccntly 70 Maori families have had the titles of their holdings individualised in the Tokaanu district, and have thus heen freed from th© hampering influences of communal ownership. These people have the land and the necessary labour, and if they wer© provided with a moderate amount of credit or capital could quickly make 70 different farms. They can offer ample security, but whatfinancial institution or business firm will advance them the money or the needed material? The late Sir William Herries practically originated the Native Trust Office for the express purpose of doing this dass of work helping the Maoris to become prosperous farmers. Is it fulfilling its proper functions in this direction, and, if not, who will come forward to se© that this work is done? The Isolation ol Tongariro. The Tongariro district has long been isolated for lack of connecting roads, and even to-day vehicular oommunication is almost impossible in winter tim©. The opening of the Waimarino road has been of great benefit and so has the opening of the road to Taupo along the eastenv side of the lake, but thes© roads will be of little commercial tise nntil thev are metalled, and this is a work that should b© uridertaken as soon as possible. There are unlimited supplies of good metal in every part of the district; all the rivers on the eastern side of the lak© run over vid© beds of exoellent gravel, one of the cheapcst and best of materials for roadmaking, and between Tokaanu and Waimarino there is no lack of either gravel or hard rock. The chief hope of the district, however, is the earlv construction of the Toncariro Timber Company's line between Kakahi on the Main Trunk and the «hores of Lake Taupo, a few miles north of the Tokaanu. This Ime will simply revolutionis© the Toneariro district), and in fact all parts of the nøw province that Hes within ten or fifteen or even twenty miles from the ahores of > Lake Taupo. At the present time it costs from £5 to £15 per ton simply to cart ,' goods from the nearest railway station to : the most favourably situated parts, while further back the cost runs still higber. Wlien Lake Taupo is linked up by rai] with the Main Trunk line the railway f reight will be.very little more than it ' is now, and launches or small steamers will be able to land goods on almost any ' part of the lake shores at a low cost. Since Taupo Lake has a shoreline of about ' one hundred miles in length and settlen could easily cart their own goods for dis--1 tances of ten miles it will be seen that 1 the constKUction of the Tongariro Cr/m- ---' pany's line will benefit over 1000 Bquare '' miles of country surrounding the lake 1 apart from the country throuerh which it runs, which will total nearly 800 square ; miles. High. freights, waste åi time, and 1 long bad roads, have mad© insuperabw ' barrier» to settlement and land improyement. Good and cheap commuimcatior will break down thes© barriers, and w< shall se© in a little while this Tongarirc district entering the field as an exporter o; dairy produc© and fat stock on a rapidlj growing scale.