LAND EAST OF THAMES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 259, 2 November 1931, Page 3

LAND EAST OF THAMES.

WANTED TOR SETTLEMENT

APPLICATIONS REFUSED.

(Prom Our Own Correspondent.)

THAMES, Sunday.

There is agitation in Thames to have the hill land east of the Thames borough thrown open for settlement. The quality of the land i 3 -equal to, if not better, than other hill land in the district which lias been made into good pastures. Until recently most of the land was held under timber leases and so could not jbe Required for farming. A large portion lies in the watersheds of the Kauaeranga River .and its tributaries, which were reserved for maintaining the town's water supply. . Not long ago the Crown .found.these reserves too extensive, and they have been reduced, considerably. There is a large tract of. land, lying to the south-east of the Hape Creek, which several settlers want to lease, but all applications have been rejected "by the Auckland Land Board on the ground that there is no existing road giving access to the block, although a good road leads to within a mile or so of it. An effort is now being made to get the local authority to complete the road, which would provide work for single men under the relief scheme.