THE KING COUNTRY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15101, 25 March 1911, Page 8

THE KING COUNTRY.

SIGNS OF PROGRESS,

(Per United Phesb Association.) AUCKLAND, March 24. •Mr T. W. Jennings, M.P. for Taumarunui, has juist completed a 3000-mile tour of his electorate, which iG about thehugest in the Dominion. Interviewed 011 his arrival in Auckland this morning, Mr Jennings spoke in an optimistic strain of the progress and potentialities of the King Country. The development of tha last few years he describes as -little short of marvellous. In the course of a 56mile ride across tho country from the sra board to Te Kuiti this week, the member for the district had an opportunity of witnessing the effect of the recent heavy bush fires. The result, says Mr Jennings, has been Beneficial. in the highest degree, as most of the land has now been cleared of Btumps and undergrowth. The difficulty of reading Native laud is still acute, and settlers are feeling very sore that the act of last session has not brought greater relief. " Speaking generally," continued Mr Jennings, "I must say 1 have r.ever seen the King Country in a more 11 finishing condition. The fact that so much Native land still remains locked up is, of course, unsatisfactory. Yet the progress of the last few years has bean most remarkable." A case in point was the initial King Country show," held 10 days ago, when 1020 persons were piesont. Seven years ago there were not 14 pers3i:s living in the district.