The Daily News. FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1900. NEW PLYMOUTH'S HINTERLAND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 181, 13 July 1900, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1900. NEW PLYMOUTH'S HINTERLAND.

In a recent issue we remarked that "the chief want of Taranaki is shipping facilities." There is, however, an aspect of the question that requires immediate consideration. Under the I most favourable conditions the work of providing a complete and suitable harbour is a work of time, and cannot be accomplished in a month or even a year. In the meantime, it is very necessary that New Plymouth should not be cut off from what, to quote a much-used and very appropriate term, wa may call New Plymouth's hinterland. This is a term now generally applied to tbe area lying inland of a port, and which is considered to be within its sphere of influence as a trading centre. It will be very little use making a port at the Breakwater if, when that is accomplished, it is found that the whole of tbe back country has been tapped .front other directions and its trade led into channels which lead it away from New Plymouth. This appears to us to lie a serious menace to the future prosperity of New Plymouth, In the past the' people of New Plymouth have been looking solely to the Awakino-Te Kuiiti route as a means of communication -with Auckland and to tap-the country north-east of New Plymouth. While we recognise the' value of this i route, we also recognise that it does'not tap that great area through which tb.6 Junction and the Obura Roads run, and which is New Plymouth's true hinterland. Mr. H, M. Skeet, Government Surveyor, in bis admirable rsport on the land opened up by the several railway routes, shows -what an enormous area lies in what may be termed inland, Taranaki. In' the past this large area has been very thinly populated and served from Stratford, which acts as the depot and distributing centre for .New Plymouth, Patea, and Waitara ; but, in most eises, shippers and tradesmen have found Che ports of Waitara and Patea chea per than New Plymouth. This had the effect of alienating the people from New Plymouth. During the past year or two a very large 9mount of settlement has taken place in the district referred to, and population has become more dense, Tne exports have also very largely increased, and the of shipping facilities has attracted a good deal of attention. Public opinion has been gradually formiug, and there is a growing fueling that New Plymouth is the only place where suitable facilities for dealing with the large output of the future can be provided. This being so, it is incumbent on the people at New Plymouth to assist in developing a district from which so much may be expected. Already tffoits are being made to divert the trade elsewhere, and unless New Plymouth bestirs hersslf and sees to it that the back-blocks are provided with cheap and easy access to the port, the trade will go ■-Lsewhere. Considering the enormous progress settlement has mad*, the increase in the shipping returns for the port of New Plymouth is ridiculous, >md goes to show that tbe port is not keeping pace with the requirements of the district. No doubt tbe question i> a difficult one>, and success can only bu achieved by tbe whole people uniting in a general scheme for the development of the port and the opening up of the back country which should feed it. The value of the trade of "Inland Taranaki " is already being recognised by both Wanganui and Wellington, and every effort is being made to draw thi? trade south. Unless .New Plymouth heartily cooperates with tne people at Stratford in their efforts to opsn up the back country, they will find themselves with a port, and the trade- which ought to How to it diverted into other channels. Mr. Hoimee, C.E., in his report on the railway routes, strongly advocates the. construction of a lino to open up this cauntiy, and says: "In fact, a railway line is almost a necessity for the future prosperity of the country, owing to the long distances which most of it is from a market, and the difficulty of maintaining roads in propar condition to allow of carting all the year round, due o the lack of suitable materials for Detailing them. . . In order to shorten the distance to New Plymouth >r Waitara, the lino should connect >vith the present line at Stratford." Nothing will do more to educate the pvopiotf Taranaki to the read of a Harbour like finding they can produce more than the shipping facilities can (/rovidefor; and we feel satisfied that a sound, feasibla scheme for harbour improvement will rtceivo strong support, .f suttlers find their efforts to secure \ accc-FS to ttie port are being treated ! with the coneideratiou they demand, '