THE RURAL WORLD.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7974, 4 December 1911, Page 2

THE RURAL WORLD.

WELLINGTON WOOL SALES. SEASON 1911-1913. Catalogue Date of Sale. CloEca. Monday, December 4th, 1911 Nov. 28 Thursday, January 11th, 1912 Dec. 30 Tuesday, February 13th, 1912 Feb, 5 Tuesday. March sth, 1912 Mar. 1 A. AND P. SHOW DATES. November 30th. —Stratford A. and P• Asso* j ' elation, at Stratford. ! January 31st. —Bush Districts A. and P. Association, at Woodville. January 31st.—Horowhenua A. and P. Association, at Devin. . . , _ February 6th and 7th.—Feildmg A. and P. Association, at Feilding. ■ February 7th. —Central A. and P. Association. at IVaipukurau. February 9th.—Pnhiatua A. and P. Assoc:&* " tion, at Fahiatua. , _ . February 14th.~Danncvirko ‘A. and P Association, at Dannevirke. (Bam fair 13th.) .. ■ _ w , - February 15th. —Wairaarino A. P., 11. and I. Association, at Kaetihi. February 20th and 21st.—Mast erton A. and P. Association, at "Solway," Masterton, February 23th—Rangitlkol A. and P. Association, at Taihape. A PEEP INTO THE PAST SKETCH OF A REMARKABLE SETTLEMENT. TVHANGAMOMONA AND LIBERAL ' policy. (By a Pioneer.) In the history of land settlement in this country, there is no more remarkable chapter than that telling of the settlement of IVhangaimomona, It is a unique record of the liberality of a State and the fight for a home on the land by the penniless settler. The success attending the experiment has fully justified tho exceptional manner In which tho Liberal Government met tho pioneers of Whanga-momona. IMPROVED FARM SETTLEMENT. When tho CTovemimont started the improved farm system in Taranaki in 1895, VThangamomona was by far the largest of all tho settlements. Tho Act was passed for tho purpose of relieving the ranks of the unemployed; and was rapidly brought into operation. IVkangamomona was then a dense forest, with only a bush track from Pohokpra, which was about twelve miles distant from the site of the proposed settlement. Three parties of surveyors were rushed on to tho scene, and those made a hurried, survey, dividing the district up into 115 bush farms. Within three months of tho starting of tho survey, ©very section in the settlement was taken up. The settlers camo from all parts of New Zealand, and comprised all sorts and conditions of men, from college graduates to' a’' doll’e-oyo maker. 1 Probably not five per cent: had ever been in a New Zealand bush before. The Government paid the travelling expenses in all cases whore necessary, In no other part of tho world has such a liberal and absolutely successful experiment been tried in the interests of tho penniless settler. _ The method adopted was as follows ; —Each mr>Ti was given a contract at a price in advance of tho market value—on account of tho distance back and tho high price of food—for felling twenty acres of bush for • his homestead. When the tract was completed, the men were found, employment on tho formation of the roada as near as possible to thoir-holdings. "When the time for burning .arrived, a day was. selected, and each man received a day’s pay for attending to the fire on his section. .Then the Government supplied ■ tho grass seed, and paid tho settlors 2s per aero for sowing it on their own sections. building homes. After tho burn a subsidy of £ for £ was iriven to each settler to enable him to build his house, and when the hoaeo was finished, the 1 settler returned to work on the roads. Finally, when hush on tho sections was felled, the cost. Including everything expended on the section, was capitalised and added to the rent, which amounted to about 5i per ° The total length of tho settlement was about twelve miles, end the I?°*™ was twelve miles ahead of the tood. -X) that settlers at the far end were twentyfour miles ahead of the road, in a mont of 115 people placed m such an unusual position and without rrady monej, it will be easily understood that tno commissariat was a most serious matter. Strato ford, the market town, was forty odd miles from the nearest settlor, and J think I am not exaggerating when I saj thnt the, road was the worst-in New Zealand. . In winter time, which meant nine mouths of tho year, it was a sea of mud from ono end to the other. paok-horsb ■WORK. Two storekeepers ‘ started at Pohnlcura, twelve miles away, and packed stuff very irregularly over tho track to tho settlement. Many a time when the pack-horses arrived, the nearest settler, being first on the spot, purchased all the flour before tho far-back ones reached tho scene: consequently they bad to return, empty-hand-ed Thla went on for some time, and tlie settlement was just about at starving point; The storekeepers pleaded them-, selves when they came'as wollas what they brought, and -would sell; all they liad to one man if he had the money to buv it, not caring two straws for the women and children who would bp left without the ordinary necessaries of life. But a now ora was dawning—a better tamo was in store for the struggling settlore. Joo McOlnggagc, the "father of Whangamomona. was coming—relief was at hand. Well do I remember the first trip Joe made with about three pack-horse loads of flour and tea and sugar. Ho had taken nn a bush section at Pohokura, and was only a straggler himself; but he heard-of the manner in which tho other storekeepers were treating: the eettlers, aim determined to try to servo them better. He was by far the weaker of the three financially. and with far loss experience in the arts and wiles of storekceplns. But ho had a heart as big as a bullock, with the courage and endumneo of a Spartan, e.nd he made up his.mind to fight his way against all comers.

A HARD STRUGGLE. For tho first six months it tv as a terrible struggle. The roads were In a deplorable condition, and to make matters worse the other two firms reduced tbo price of goods with tho object of catting Joe out; but they little knew tbo man they had to: deal with. He stuck to the track night; and day, and 5t was quite a common thing for Joe and his brother Bob to negotiate that rood in the middle of the night. Any settlors who gave Joe an order oould de-. nend on receiving it at the appointed 7 time oven though ho had to travel all ni~ht to deliver it; whereas It was just a "chance whether the others delivered tho orders or not. Joe's time came when his opponents formed a compact and refused to soli except for cash. This practically meant the death of the Whapgnmomoua settlement, as it was absolutely impossible for the settlers to pay cash. A certain amount of credit would bare to bo given, or the whole scheme must be abandoned, jo© continued the even tenor of bis way, rover swerving, and oradua'lv tb© settlers reccsul«ed his sterling worth. Slowly hut **.nr°lv his business increased, until at last tbo’other two flrm« surrendered and left bim a clear field. There ia no doubt In mv mind that but for the timely arrival of Joe McCluggaeo on the scene. Whangamomona would have become* a skeleton settlement ir-stend pf the urwynorous and thriving (Oommunitylit is to-day.

PROGRESSION. Time wore on, and in duo course oceans of grnrose and fell in great waves from one end of tho settlement to the other. Tito settlers were not In a nosition to purchase sufficient stock- to keep it down, and again Jo© came to the rescue. This time ho built a dairy factory, and, farther than that., financed tho *. settlers in the purchase of cows. This last ventnro placed tho settlement on the good, permnnent and substantial baso it now occupies, and every man in it was given a chance to make himself permanently comfortable, and if ho did not do eo, it was hio own fault. Could anything bo more liberal oA the part of any Government than this? In a largo settlement such . as. tho ono in , question, there are always wasters to bs.

found, and, to his credit bo it said, even theso Joo never deserted, but like the famous "Father O'Flynn." could be always found "Scolding- tho lazy ones—chiding the aisy ones; , . , Helping tho crazy ones over tho style.” When Joo got properly on his foot, in or* dor to give tho iast-mentioned settler a fair start, ho wrote a considerable sum off his books. Ho always had the interest of the small farmer at heart—in fact, it was not at all uncommon for him to travel many miles at his own expense to rewres®nt tho case of some roadless settler In tho back blocks, or to make fresh arrangements for renewal of somebody’s P.N. Tho backblocks settler will certainly never had a bettor advocate nor a truer friend. EXPORT OP. PRODUCE ; LARGE SHIPMENTS OF BETTER AND CHEESE. PRESS ASSOCIATION, DUNEDIN, December 2. The secretary of the South Island Dairy Association (Ifr J. R. Scott), who has just returned from Bluff, states that the ICaikoura shipped 5963 crates of cheese at that port, and the Reraucra will ship about *SOO crates from Dunedin, leaving next Tuesday. Tho Kia Ora took 6421 crates from Now Zealand, and the Athenio sailed from Wellington yesterday with 17,655 crates of cheese and 50,092 boxes of butter.