The Auckland Taranaki Connection.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11347, 13 October 1898, Page 3

The Auckland Taranaki Connection.

1 ' [By £ Scttleb.] • 111. I The Huiakamau- "Village Bections and suburban lots, whioh viil be offered for eale at Stratford, on the 28th October, ">re partly in the centre and partly adjoin the Mangaere Small Farm Settlement. As to their going off well or not, it is difficult to , express an opinion— all this country is iittractiog a. lot of attention now, but- from the lie of , the surrounding. land ope ia, disposed to "think. that Huiakama cannpt .■becpme o8 jjs, . jmach importance as Strathmore,sjiill when '"'" ' tn^.cbnutry goes ohead| as it should, there fought to b,©. ropm\ for both.f,_Mr Mere- ' ditn s sawmill,^ close, to Uie settlement,'...has ..been established' for about three " yeareand has been doing, a^goodtbqsj,- , ne§a. It was Btarte^ in t th'e pame of Messrs "' 'Kennedy a^ "Meredith /it «v t er, in Mr Meredith's b^hds. ■ ■ ' 1 Right opposite the, Huiakama suburban ' Bechonais the junction , of. th.c J Ohura i ' with.th\e Akama Road which, ronniog in' a westerly directiobj opens • up ; a large area of 'first class grazing country; the land' was offered s for ■ selection , in 1 892 in sections.^ 2QQ And.- 300. acres. All theBections,.are now occupied and improve- ". mdtotsare welL-ahaad, and 1 those settlers within convenient reach of the butter factory; at Mangaere Kivfe made : prepara^ tionß ,to start in dsiryiog; Mr Charles , farm at tb, c ( jui}eti,on,ia an.average „ 'specimen of-thecountryw.' MriWeafc.ia the j. f pipneer of the block. 'in j'j y> >,'-- .')'", , About ten chains- further,, on i is; the' Kirai Road, striking out pretty well id an easterly direction. At present it serves .only; a , few aeetion ;, - there is : more , country to open up at the back. < <r . ,- ,A mile and a half onwards is the june- , iion with the Mohakan road, which taps -a' [ considerable block of , gocid . country ; ruuning a westerlyj course, it, with, the Akama road, serves all tdau block of land ; thrown open for selection in 1892,- and then changing its, course to every point of fchecompass in succession, it runs for ten or twelve miles through, partially settled "land, which wUiib.6 referred tafurther on. _t -< „ Tie whole of the block opened by these rJi two roads, and for, < three miles on both ,^ the .Ohura Roads, good grazing '- land; bu t. the settlors ;have a real-gtiov-:s ajice intho high>valuitions, whichvrang'e , eectiops to(4as.pßr/aore for aectiqpß- with, frontages. to t the. Ohura , ,rpad. „N o,d oubt jfc can be .paid -1 hat: the settlera, took .up., the Jftudj with their'eyes .<■ opeq— Beptions tvetft.yalued befor«,'Kaiog f „ ; pfiared for ballot,; !not like sorxie of'the' ;; . settlements,, Tanner, Milsom, and'RosS^ .-_,f,i>r iustancei, where valuation, was 'made. v^ jaf per alloj<men|r If > the. .men i made :'the .' , mistake of going i« for land r whiok -was .. valued, too high^ still the greater mistake £ (J rests, with tho,iiftti(Js-Depar±nienti and .Borne meaßureioughfc 'to. be introduced' ■which, .would), relieve the i settlerar oi (a; -^j heavy aodi r}nrea«?onablei burden. nThere,; ji!i«,aß good, land in the Palmerston'Blobkg, |.;^iued>tl,ss to4-7^pet acre.; > ' , * [.' , occur ■ ,at all ? By the time the settlers of the \Akama : and Mohakau roads get' their land \ .felled and, grassed it means £4 pec aore, thit is, say at £2 '5a for standing bush. ' j Nqw thisjs too touch' at ai distanceof 22 ( (Bud more mile's from Stratford with a bog hole of a road for. the venter months. „-'.; Thet B.on, .John -McKenzie has said in theJHouaa t by©j; andsoveriagaio^in'reply. t .;ta, questions by hon. members, that tbe' . pettier, has the remedy within hisTCach^-j (hat i£ hecooiidershis liod to be. valued too higbjthe^iiandrActhrproTides that he isan^urrendej;. and^get, t^ie-, BBctipiv-r^-telbed/and TOpiy.fof < i^a^hnd,iXS)v any chknee theire sboiild do other apples cants and he. doel not get it.. still, he J^elives^-fuii-^Value^^for 'lmprov^nientß which the incoming man must pay ; tha(i . ii, if the ballot" does apt.favpur the original bcoupier, he at any ra^e ..Ta)ae;.o£ his work andAmoneyi: irfye'Siie'dj Now this Sounds well, but we who have . had to «!o with it in actual experience! Mmqw. what itj really means; and it will ■.not be oat of place here to state the case on the settler's side, and show how he is handicapped, ' ; The settler has begun to make- bin home; his house, garden, stock, |odds, and . chattels are all around hija ; if hesur- ; ?euder he has no right: or title td'thd .place ;< h()ase, garden, and land are open: to the public. HowisJie to arrange about his stock and belonginga without serious expense ? for the process of surrendering, and getting the land again has been iotuke nine mouths, and in some cases' iten.' The machine which red-tape' pfo-: vided for the inanoeuvro professes that, between three and four months' lime isi ample; but; general results prove that' Seven i cr eight months are required. 1 And then the settler- has -to' pto^; vide for the eventuality t>t not getting the place. again. So' that' St* prrootkaily canaes to this : that 'the provirioris of the Land Act, reftrred tb by the Hdfi- Jphii ' MvKenaio r in, no-wa.y -favour 'I,he rl man who is making a home in the^tjush— ihe maa whom 1 the Go vernmeull' 'wishes' to favour— though possibly it' tnay'soitthe man who is, and was from the first, only »; speculator,! whose plan is to improve fend then Bell i and move on 'again to another section. -It; is, therefore.! n) wonder that the 1 surrendering ' and revaluation process for getting si reduction ii not availed of to any extent? ; Betfrierd prefer to hold on in hopes of a better measure. It is, of course, only fair to mention that the provision of the Land Act has been made use of eaco^s&f ully in Taranaki. Men have got their own eectiQos again and ■ theire ha 3 been no bitch of any kind, but the cases which have i come under my notice have' been extreme ones, where a man might as well put his snag on his' back and clear out ,tban hold the land, for valuations "were 'up to £3 33 per c ere for land no better than that df the Palmerston Blocks valued ftt-1,78 6d and 20a. Before passing from subject of this block and its valuations, mention may vecy veil be made of Mr M. O'Neill's section as a case in point ; it is on the Mohakau Road near the junction wi'.h the Ohura, valued at £2 5i on the grouuds of frontage to the Ohura. Well, in the early day?, it did hare a few chains frontage to the main road, but a deviation in road line left bis land without this point of advantage. He has made several applications to the Lands Department for a reduction, but of course without any result, as there is no mea sure to provide for such cases other than the surrendering and re-valuation clauses It must also be noted that in" this block there are several places where shell rock crops out to the surface, &nd one place, within a mile and a half cf the Uhura Read, where there is a huge face of it, indicating a qujntity sufficient, if neces-. oary, to metal the Ohura Road from start to finish. Referring back to the Mohakau Road . At a distance of four miles from the Ohnra Road, it touches the Oxford Special Settlement, and winds through it in a Eerpentine coarse, almost touching the southern corner of the Milsoin Settlement ; then turning south again it connects with that block of country, opened up by ro-tds which strike out from the Ohura Road north of Toko, eight and ten miles out from Stratford, such aB Douglas and Waiwiri Roads, ro that the Mohakau Road will some day carry a large amount of traffic, from I north and south as well m west of the 1 Uhura Road. The Oxford Special Settlement on the Mohakau Road is the failure of all the Speciiil Settlements of Taranaki — not on account of the quality of the land ; it is really good bush country, but from the fact of its position ac regirds roads. It was got up in Oxford, Canterbury, N.Z , about the time, or shortly after, the other two Canterbury settlements, Tanner and Milsom, sprang into life—composed of 21 selectors, residents of Oxford, •who balloted for 21 200-acre sections. The land wus surveyed by the Government, tho only expense incurred by the eettlers being ihu teii febilliags per head registration fee ; thoy had theiofonno great tie to the land or linhility. Of the 22 only ow; has ov«;r pni, in an appearance, a Mr Stockley, who came on

, to tne land mare than. lour years f ago.* VQne ot Ms soW arid ' sererift othW l men have since^ taken up abandoned seetioDs, but the block ip, for Uhe most ; part lying idle. ' Ib will not remain long, $owever, with, unoccupied BeotioDs t far. tie | country is gqod,;and Hhere is '"a demand Tor land,, jn direction at present' Judging'frbni the ; progress made by Mr' Stockley for "the four and a half years he [has been " th,ere,' one mqst express! tire regret that more of his sort did not come along with him from Oxforl At first ho had .to face rat Her I 'moire I 'than the jfult' .sharaiof- tha offiinary bush settler's lot— 7 [(his, supplies,.; camßJfvis'ilngle'w'ood, to »,Pu*angj, 24> males, ihecd3"tiy Madrrfcarl6e down the Waitara river for sctSnV eight or nyjq fiaaitos^ ofindf tf then 1 ' - 'tfie inevitable" swagging ,&{* miles. L*ter T jon^he Mohakau Road was opened, aiifa 1 A&en,. Struthtoqrej seven-' tniies 'distant, :bep une, lji^iOountry towny 'His improveoienta,ar« now /well advanced ( "he' 4ti& a flioefh.ouseiand^a'godd section. ' "''- J ■'■> \ Less .than a cniie' beyond' the junbt;i6a' with the Mob,akau> Koad^.the Ohb^ fEom i c|ose.ly'Bettlecl,«fiajetry ana runs for about seVen miles through bldcK^' held • ' jri' gdbd J^ed .are.ai- ..Firat^ 'ith^ ! eaiterb side ii' 'Mek'are" 'Sre,wer, J ijfeJErUirs' ' <^Pohofcu'r<proriejr£y;-^ne ,'piebe bfshfeeD' cou'ri^ along' j: the' frohtage." ana {p,s jftr 1 back as the eye can reach' the land 'is fti^ grass^thopgh there -is standibg bush' at' Tth^back.^ PobdKifci' Block Ws^ 16,255 acres;; jfha^Jate Mr T. Bayly was the original owner, haying bought it frpiii' thenaUves'jri^he,ea'r|y,day9. t. li( - i" !l ' Nek't* pQ''>tto,;ia>t(?rn J s}de, .adjoining 1 Messrs Brewer and Erull^i^Mr Siddel^' SiOPjO'actes"; j^CpO acres 1 were purchased from 'Mr'Pogwill ratber mor^ ',th^Q tfrfr years since| and ; tEe othe^ 2,Q,00 ffim Mr Oroii'somp time'previoius^, half- of the 6,000 is jp gra&s, and all good healthy aheep country,. , A\9oo -B^rongiag"' to Me^9rk ! J ! ' Sinclair 'arid , J. Hill has a frontage to the main road al'a 1 ' raile -or so beyond l Mr Biddell's homestead, bijb it is surrounded at the back and to the north by Mr UMdell's land* ,The western frontage to ■ the road f oV thja seven mites is in .st^ndidg.bush —two of the owners of the land opposite Messrs' Brewer and Kru'l are absentees •; ne£t' is M? J.fP, George.'s hfiOQ 'acre blookjiWithj 75 jrfhains^ irontage, ft) very 'good piece of sheep , country^ ,, indee^ / satheh ' better perhaps £jban,the, average. Unfortunately, fortHe diafcridt it m still in its native state.' Next is Ur'Vf. D. Thomson's l.OOOaeres, also in standipg, busb.-Tyandr aJjaQ^fairk •gdod/owwitV the dsßac|v,antßge of a hillyfrorrtag#(lo^tne'/'Onufa Road tar thggreater^psrrt 'b'f ifi'e'aiVtaiicar. ithe block bas'th&tfa'na'soine^et pWophe" Inglewood Kd'ad ( JtadcHfotfSlo'a^l)' i-dnning' through the whole 1 length 'of it^tWbest 1 of ■ thfl-f'B&JtioiEMi 1 'beiVg tdwarda Itfe Vestt,' t adjoining, the Tanner Special' Settlement." The pion^eiff of this^part of the district 1 were Mr <loh'nsau,now.o£ IJuß.tera'fßoad/' l.?l .?l l H 1 »» JJJ J ' d a* ,'%' J « h ? .Sinclair.: ;£; £i M/ -J^h'n'son^.wHo hfeld fogwiil'd,3,QQo acres (now Mr s), hap h^qle^lmw 'sbefe'p'off it Mc«inoiair ; feHe'd 300 acres l a year tater. <^ ndic\ > ' «■' And now, .w&Jb&vfl gatio the top cjf the Pohokura saddle. lUOO-feß^above seja' 1 leveif^vrhiWiajJ§acHed fCOtMthe vallep below by a fairly good grade; indeed the* road, from:? SW6.thnioro,Y ' f ollb(.vfng thß ' valley of thg /Mangslotfuku, is a splendid grade , all ythe ,way tp y the, foot, i«f thfe saddle; it is riot, too mugh to, Bay that thfe!i ten mjle's or 8&:o^ roaq^in thisiespect, iV simjj^ pjrfeoii. jThedi^culty,Qf,metatting< in a^uptin^^.the road tJbrougbj,Mr..F;<fgj-' ivill^ 61d selection." "lhe iextentcofothe deposit hajLJßfiJk«hfisa«ieatedy'but the out^' of ml -sadale^^he'yunbtloii^itfi the Inghiwbod road'CaimVti^ii pSaav^Mbi roiles'frotn'Stratforai !31i'ft'oWBgfe|-.-jeo'o^and 43>froto5rew:!Plinm r dfitn'. -position of irdpoytabc^ "thi^ rbatf'hol'dlß^ri Lthe(prc*«ibc& ii seoo'nfd^nl^ Wthe 'OHuTal i anagthei'd»y '4«>n6t- ' far?iijtfyrii l^tyi¥i{ .-willbeTrof^aß great 'im'jibrtajic'e — a^ff'tpai fromothe^faot of its- b'eiog-'a more direct route to thTß"seapAr't.'"*'A"^lance at th^ map will shtOTAhpT! $her» Junction will bd the road of^Wfutareh' New PlyJ mouth it strikes pretty nearly du ( e east till it joins the Ohara'— it will, 't^fereforej carry almost all the traffio for the coast coming along theOhurafr'om north anct I nor^west. And thep again it taps, .with] its feeders.a great area ( offijounfc^y.,u'p the Waitara. 1 river' ribsr" alriioat, uritbuch^d' "Cc'djiutry wh^re '^He)re arfe'^iome sg^efldjdi blocks of land in the bends of fne,^vet)^ and all that block-lying north an^tiioftn\7,esft 'along ; i/ I s ' 'do'urse' (th^pad's ,q9urae) -ffomPutingitdTa'rau: ' ';' ,? \ r ]^ '■ ■{6ut"Because' bf'tha J^'hciibn b'ecoinling\ of equal im^ortarie'e to'^h€),6huraj,Boad, let ie'riol Be thougtifc tnattKe $ju^wjjr ■lose'^nythipg. "S^hb'day will'coin^ ,V%9 tWpow'err wielding local. public' affiire will be'tha^fulio^no^r^iiJ^adTo relieve theprefesiii'e" o| tra J Sjc o|uh» Ohjara. 'The Ohura will haVe quite venoughjwitn its-f feeders' to afl the qouutWßQnl(& oEPohokuta." ?n '- ■^"•VSlttP'.fflmV T^ Junction Ww npw^eWled 21 ! mileW^U-f?o i m.TngT,ewpo i al 'irwOl be' further referred Vo in the next article.