HESITATION AND DELAY

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 223, 19 September 1919, Page 5

HESITATION AND DELAY

IK SETTLING SOLDIERS. A SEASON" MISSED. MEANS A YEAR LOST. There is still some uncertainty regarding the ultimate disposal of the TakalrueWhangapae and Pareokawa Blocks, held by the Government for eoldier settlement. The intention originally was to hold these blocks till all the men at the front had returned to iNew Zealand in order that they might have an equal chance with those who returned earlier getting- some suitable land. It was further proposed that thcee men who returned first should be given employ- ! ment in opening up this land and developing- it for thoee tvho would retTirn ■later. Tlie Commissioner (Mr. R. P. Grevillc) etates, however, that -when the applications were m-ade at the Soldiers' Club for men to undertake Ithis-work only two came forward, and one of these could hardly be called an applicant for work, as he merely inquired as to the nature and locality of the work, and nothing further was heard from him. Apparently the response was so discouraging that nothing further has been done in the matter, so far as felKng the bush is concerned. Reading work lias, however, been pushed on, and according to statements made at the' meeting of the North Auckland Land Board this morning the reading of the PareokaVra. Block of 2,000 acres, containing fourteen sections, is already completed, while it is that the roading of the Takahue-'VvSiangapae Block of 4,000 acres, containing- 27 sections, will be finished during the coming summer. A recommendation was made by the Board some time ago that the land 'he thrown open for selection, but to this no reply has been received to date. This morning Mr. J. E. Welk, one of the members of the board, mentioned the matter again. He had had a. great many inquiries, he said, in regard to the two blocks. Time was .passing, and if they were not soon thrown open the season for bush felling would be over, and another year wojttld be lost. The Commissioner expr/jsjed the opinion that in view of the great demand for land thai existed something should be done in the matter. 'He could not see any use in holding up these blocks. ft was simply 'keeping the country back. It was decided to make a further recom-mendation to the Minister th-lt these two blocks be thrown open for settlement immediately. There is an impression that tte Minister is hesitating as to whether he should throw these blocks open for settlement by soldiers in the ordinary "way, or whether it should be thrown open under the co-operative settlement scheme recently put forward 'by the Returned Soldiers' Association. Meantime there is a long Bst of applicants anxiously waiting sow decision in the matter, "and, ac stated, if something is not done soon, iihe season will have jßj^sseA-andLanoSter -J&x. .w2l.i§J.ask-