OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY AND WAKATIPU EXPERIENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13996, 31 August 1907, Page 3

OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY AND WAKATIPU EXPERIENCE.

Sill,'-The _ permanent settlement of the Wakatipu district in Hie early sixties was largely due to flic gold discoveries (heroin m 1862-63, a portion of tlint sturdy band (chiefly... from Australia.) who had mado gold-seeldng their ' occupation being go oharmcd with if. as to determine them in selecting it' as their future and jxjrmnno'nt homo. Tho Into -Hcndix flallenst-ein and J. W. fiobcrlson, hvo gentlemen of splendid capacity as pioneers, had a flourmil! erected at Franktou, and Iho first-named gentleman, as n further inducement to thoso who had taken' up land, announced his willingness to-pav.fe per.'.bushel for all milling wheat brough't to the'mill. Gold (vas then abundant, and easily and cheaply obtained; business of every- dwcripl ion was flourishing, and all went, merry as a marriage feast; but'other days-and other fortunes came. Tho' shallow ' nature of the mines helped to -.their quieter exhaustion, and this, coupled with' the -.West Coast discovery, too'k off hundreds of oitf miners never again'to return, the result, being that a. slump in business anil farming circles sot in. Tho diminished consuming power of tlw district, which at that time had to absorb all it produced, resulted iiy several of tiro weaker farmers being elbowed out of their holdings, whilo even the stronger once woro unahlo to do more than hold .thoir- own. With wheat at 2s 3d to 2s:6d per bushel, and a restricted and everlessening consumption, it could not well bo otherwise. Laud values, excepting in a few favoured spots, were purely joominal; u deeiro to get out of the district spread throughout tho community, and gloom and discontent took possession of those whose all was sunk in property of an unmovablo character. This picture, t-hen, is at the .present moment an accurate description of the unfortunate position of the Upucr Clutha settlers, and, as in the case of W-tka-tipu. tho only resurrecting factor for them is tho completion of the railway to Lake Wanaka. Whon tho railway reached Kingston tho great demand made by the -southern millers and brewers for tho superior wheat and barley of tho Wakatipu district caused a restoration of confidence. Air unlimited market beins; now opened, every aero of land was utilised, an ascending and commercial value hitherto unknown was given lo the land, liopo replaced despondency in the breast of the farmer, tho plough slid moro sweetly through tho soil; and now, I think, I am safe in saying that all . stock and grain producers in the Wakatipu district have become comparatively wealthy men. . The ono and only factor in bringing about' this gratifying chango was the oompletion of the railway to Kingston. With the "iron horse" at Wanaka a similar result to tho Upper Clutha settlors and others, Government included, would follow. At this point I may bo .pardoned for a slight digression in order to show another result following railway connection with Kingston. Farm produce of all kinds, as tho result of the new transport facilities,

wont up in price, and our miners as consumers only wcro subjected to a material advanco for what they required. Tliiu position indirectly helped to settle a ivranglo for some time existing between the miner and tho community generally as to whether tho Crown Terrace Block should be reserved exclusively for tho minor or given over to the farmer. Tho writer of these linos, having bad a hand in the' correspondence on this subject, never wavered in urging its occupation by tho farmer, small rcc-crvcs in tho creeks, whero good soil and gold are closely associated, being reserved to the miner. Whero one ha 3 to bo sacrificed, X say let it bo tho metal. Tho soil will givo an annual gold yield besides other advantages. In travelling through this cxccllent blocfe of land, which occasionally I havo to, it is with a feeling of both pride and pleasure that I look upon the splendid homes that now exist whero onco tho snowgrass and tussock reigned supreme. Something, I admit, is unquestionably duo to the clam of men into whoso hands this fino block haa fallen —Irishmen, all of them, with a few Shetlanders thrown in—a splendid combination undoubtedly. Schooled in tlio black north, whero both brain and body ha.ve continually to battlo with Nature for an existcncc, a raco is developed of exceptional' valuo to tho world. Tho dictionary possessed by the M'Kibbons, Jenkins, Brodieo, Stovensons, and o'l'ocs lias no such word as " failure " within its covers. The snow falling upon them in the harvest field, which in tho early days of tho settlement was a frequent occurrence, was to them but a trißo; and but for the railway to Kingston this tvpe of men would have been lost; to tho district, possibly to tho colony. Can any sane, self-rcspectinpr Government afford to da!\v with such vital interests as hereinmentioned and not suffer? I trow not. Tho Makaroro community has lost SO per cent, of its population (chiefly its youth) within the past _ two years. Wanaka, and .Hawca, districts in this respect have also suffered considerably. The Government, wo hope, will act justly and [airly and upon the merits and justifiableness of the work and expend ituvo demanded of it, looking at polilical support and political manoeuvring; as of but secondary importance. On such a basis as this the continued extension of the Olago 'Central railway to tho ln-kes should ho beyond doubt.—l am. etc.. R. Jt'DoUGAIL. Pembroke, August 27. THE WAIICOUAIH DAIRY FACTORY. Sir,—Seeing that tho Waikouaiti Dairy Factory directors have thought fit to pay, a .bonus to the supplying shareholdore, I would liko to ask whit, right theso have to benefit by the hard earnings of tho supplying non-shareholders any more than tho shareholders have who aro not suppliers. —I am, etc., Justice. THE LAWRENCE-ROXBURGH RAILWAY. Sir,—The Lawrence-Roxburgh League is incapablo.of seeing tho advantages of tho Ilcriot route, its views of it being distorted and prejudiced. Nothing will satisfy it but a railway from Lawrence at a cost out of all proportion to the traffic to be expected. If the league really believes in what it asserts about the enormous expansion of resources which it says will follow from that line, why should not tho Ileriot route do the same, and more? Even if tho lino from Lawrence was hero now, our supplies of oats, chaff, timber, and wheat would still come from the fouth: it would still bo tho best and' cheapest markot. Nothing would come from Dnncdin but storekeepers' merchandise, and the Heriot route would be available just as well as tho otiier line to carry away all the products we raise for export. Surely it is more reasonable to ask tho Government 1o make a railway of 2-3 miles than one of <10 milos, and if 12 miles only were mado between Edjcvale and Moa Flat it would be available fyr everyone in tho district at a reasonable distance, both for export and import. Surely it is only common sense awl justice (o advocate the shortest, best, and cheapest route, and that, in addition, more quickly available than the other.' Tho onormou9 expansion of production promised for the Lawrence oxlcnsion cannot be reckoned on. Every acre of land is utilised according to Ito capabilities, The deputations aro only amusing the Prime Minister, going every now and then to Wellington to tell him about tho enormous production of wheat and fat lambs which flip Lawrence railway will bring about and the discovery of 250.000 acres, mostly Crown land. They would Ik; far better employed if they turned their attention and energy to increasing their output of fruit io feed tho railway and get the 12 miles into Moa Flat as quickly as possible. The sheep men would do their part to keep up their end of the stick, as they havo been doing, and are likely to do, by raising all the wool and store lambs which the land admits of them doing.—l am. etc., John' licglis. Roxburgh, August 27.