FROM MOTU TO OPOTIKI.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3173, 20 March 1911, Page 4

FROM MOTU TO OPOTIKI.

WHAT THE COUNTRY IS LIKE. MR. W. D. S. MACDONALD FAVORABLY impressed. A REPLY TO MR. ROSS, M.P. Mr. W. D. S. MacDonald, M.P. for the Bay of Plenty, who has just returned from an- extensive tour through his large electorate, during which he visited Rotorua and the settlements along the Bay of Plenty, returned to Gisborne, in company with the Minister of Public Works, on Saturday evening. Mr. MacDonald left Gisborne on February lOfcli, and has spent the intervening period mostly in the R-otorua portion of the electorate. Ihe member for the Bay of Plenty has had a busy time of it during the past five weeks. After attending the Opotiki show and races, Mr. MacDonald went on to Rotorua, and while visiting the various centres in the electorate, he has made visits to Auckland and Wellington in connection with his parliamentary duties.

On liis tour, Mr. MacDonald had an opportunity of closely inspecting the route of the East Coast to Auckland railway, and is most favorably impressed with the class of country to be opened up by this line. A “Times” reporter brought under Mr. Maellonald’s notice the remarks of Mr R. B. Ross. 31. P. for Pahiatua, which appeared in ft he “Gisborne Times,” and in which he stated the quahtv of the -country did not justify the construction of a railway, and that the country between Motu and Opotiki urns so nteeo that he Government would have to import a special breed of Alpine cattle to stock it. Mr. MacDonald stated that Mr. Ross bad taken a flying visit through the district, and had passed along the track between Motu and Opotiki through country which traversed the ridges, and some of which had been set aside as a scenic reserve. Had Mr. Ross gone ever the country as carefully as he (Mr. MacDonald) had done, he would have formed a different opinion as to its quality. It was true that there was a good deal of steep country between Motu and Opotiki, particularly towards the Bay ct Plenty side, but it was ail heavily timbered, and country which would grew heavy timber would produce good pastures. The land would all be productive when improved, and the greatest picof of ibis was that the settlers who had holdings there were all doing well. Besides, ii had to be remembered that only a portion of the country was steep, ’and that- a large area of first-class pastoral country lay in the valleys which would be served bv the line. Even if the country was as sterile as Mr. Ross tried to the Government would be justified in running a line through it to link up the rich districts cf Poverty Bay and the Bay cf Plenty. The line was urgent!- wanted by the Bay of Plenty sheepfarmers to provide a market for their fat stock. At present their only means of disposing of their sheep was by a small boat from Auckland, and this had .so many demands upon it that it -was fully lKicked for three _ months ahead. The trouble was that if a larger beat was charted, the market was glutted, and prices in consequence declined. Freezing works were likely to be started at an early date at Opotiki, which -would remove the disabilities that the Bay of Plentv sheepfarmers at present suffered under. On the Bay of Plenty side, Mr. MacDonald stated, their old friend, the Native land question, still retarded progress to some extent. However, the recent legislation which had been passed had resulted in a good deal of Native land being brought into profitable occupation, and as the Natives came to understand it better it would not be long before the Native land trouble disappeared altogether. The Natives themselves, once they realised the advantages of having their lands improved and receiving rents from Europeans, instead of letting them lieidle, would themselves approach _Eu:opeaus with a view to leasing their pro-

perries. Mr MacDonald stated he knew something about bush land, ar.d he was satisfied that- the whole of the area between Motu and Oporiki would make goed grass country, which would not only prove profitable to tlie settlers who took it up. but revenue-producing to the State,