LAND DEVELOPMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 292, 10 December 1929, Page 21

LAND DEVELOPMENT.

THE PUMICE AREAS. GOOD PROGRESS MADE. KAUWHATA AND ROTORTJA FINANCE FOR IMPROVEMENTS. (Bv Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") WELLINGTON, this day. Good progress has been made ii developing a land policy on the line: of legislation passed last session. Th< Minister of Lands, the Hon. G. W Forbes, informed your corresponden that selection had been made rif an abb and experienced gentleman of provei farming ability as fourth member of th< Land Development Board, and, as soon a; his acceptance of the seat had beei received, he (Mr. Forbes) wouk announce it. It had been definitely arranged to set up at once three advisorj committees in the North Auckland and Auckland land districts, one of whirf. ■would operate entirely in the pumice areas of Rotorua. The gentlemen had been already selected for these committees because of their special knowledge, and it only required acceptance ' from two of them to permit of the Minister making the announcement. Mr. Forbes also said that the necesBary regulations for the working of the Act had been drafted, and would become effective so soon as they had been approved by the Minister of Finance and Cabinet. Forms of application for loans, etc., had been prepared, and were about to be printed. However, said Mr. Forbes, applications would be accepted in the interim if merely drafted on plain advances up to 90 per cent. . Extent of Advances. The Minister stated that at the moment it was intended to advance upon the basis of 90 per cent of potential value of improvements intended to be effected by the settler, and up to £1250 per man. Such advances would not be made for the purchase of stock. No fee would be charged for inspection unless a loan were granted. Every commissioner of Crown lands was actively engaged upon overhaul of the Crown lands in their respective districts, and prominent advertisements would shortly he exhibited drawing attention to special provisions of the new legislation, giving definite instruction how the s fullest details of available lands could be obtained. Development Work. Mr. Forbes further stated that actual development work was now in hand at Te Kauwhata under the Department of Agriculture, and that arrangements had .already been made for the immediate development of some 2300 acres of pumice lands about 14 miles from Rotorua. The Dominion Land Purchase Board had considered a grea,t number of offers to sell properties, but in the vast majority of cases it was quite impossible to purchase them with any hope of Euccessful subdivision and recouping at such prices as the vendors demanded. However, he was glad to say that quite, substantial progress had been made, and that, although most of the properties had been bought before delivery according to the position and purpose "required, yet in some instances ballots had already been held. Land purchase properties so far offered number 800, and the Government has approved of the purchase of 25 properties costing, say, £391,100,- while many more properties ere now under consideration. The Minister was also glad to say that general settlement of Crown lands during the last twelve months had heen satisfactory, and had not in any. way shown a decrease. He had the very fullest confidence that the future would show a marked increase in general settlement, though the Lands Department would have to be most careful in all that it did. Cautiousness on the part fo the Department did not appear to meet •with general approval, but he felt that the problem now being handled was one that required the very utmost consideration, as the pitfalls were manifold where hasty settlement was attempted. Duties of Advisory Committees. Mr. Forbes mentioned that the duties of advisory committees referred to above would involve the combing of all Crown lands available in the districts mentioned, and that the committees would .receive explicit instructions to report definitely as to what areas they considered suitable for settlement, also what particular proportion pi such areas should be developed by the Crown before placing settlers thereon, and what proportion could more suitably be utilised by subdividing, roading, and then providing the successful selectors with the necessary finance to erect suitable buildings, fencing, and to effect a certain amount of cultivation. Mr. Forbes felt it would probably be very advantageous to actually get the men on to the ground, and allow them to proceed with their own improvements, hut that, of course, conditions as found hy the various advisory committees would influence the development board m its decisions affecting these questions. He thought it would be unreasonable to expect any marked increase in the number of selectors of land immediately and that probably the whole matter would be swinging* very strongly, say, six months from now. It was proposed, in cases where men would actually develop the land, to put the oversight of development work in the hands of the Agricultural Department, which, of course, had its expert officers, and was in an exceptionally able position to deal ivith the matter. Appropriate roading of various blocks would be undertaken out of the land development fund, and it was intended to utilise unemploved labour in this connection, as Mr. Forbes felt that road development should be very actively prosecuted, and, if possible, be ahead of settlement.