THE OPOURIAO ESTATE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 113, 14 May 1902, Page 2

THE OPOURIAO ESTATE.

A SUCCESSFUL SETTLEMENT,

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, this day.

Regarding the Opouriao estate, VVhakatane, Mr Bayiey, Crown Lands ranger, reports that on this estate, under the Land for Settlement Act, ISS6, the settlement has now . been occupied for a period of six years. All the selectors have complied with the conditions except one. There have been only nine forfeitures since the settlement was formed. The outlook for the 58 selectors is very bright. Reporting to the Commissioner of Crown Lands at Auckland, Mr Bayiey says that of the settlers on the land 41 have been over six years in occupation. All the selections but two are occupied. A small selection of nine acres was forfeited last year, leaving out of a total area of 7804 acres 200 not occupied.. The total value of the improvements is £28,000. of which £4000 is the value of the land at the time of allotment, leaving a balance of some £25,000 as the value of improvements effected by selectors since the occupation, and an increase of £5000 for the year. The population shows an increase of 36 for the year. There is every prospect of the settlers making up for the damage done by frosts. There are 550 cows on the estate, an increase of 440 for tbe year. The cheese factory is to be changed into a butter factory. In maize there wTas a total area of 040 acres. Since tbe acquisition of the land the population has increased from 20 to 4000. The orisrinal purchase money was £3000. Since then the improvements added are valued at £20,000. The outmit for the .year was valued at £12.000.