GALATEA ESTATE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 121, 24 May 1932, Page 12

GALATEA ESTATE.

EARIiY SETTLEMENT WANTED. DISCUSSION" WITH MINISTER. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WHAKATANE, Monday. A Whakatane deputation, Messrs. W. Sullivan (Mayor), P. Baird, and A. C. Sutherland, when in Wellington last week, questioned the Minister of Lands concerning the report that the opening for settlement of the Galatea Estate was to .be delayed for three years. They iisked why 100 unemployed had been taken off the work of developing Galatea juul transferred to unproductive street work, and also why he was hesitating to open Galatea for settlement. The Minister denied that the settlement of Galatea was being delayed. He would make a statement on the subject in a day or two. In reply to a question as to their opinion'of Galatea, the members of the deputation stated that they considered 1 it was as good as the country around Matamata, and was eminently suitable for close settlement. They urged that the settlement scheme be put into operation as soon as possible in conjunction with the opening of other areas in the Bay of Plenty, as a means of settling those desirous and capable of taking up land. Mr. Sullivan said it appeared to him that there was no co-ordination between the Land's Department and the Unemployment Department. The Minister had enormous areas of land foj; settlement, but no money to achieve his object, while Mr. Coates had money available, but no land. In order to put any scheme for the solution of the unemployed problem into operation, coordination between the Departments was essential. Material for Bridges. The steel work and other material for three small bridges at Galatea has been landed at Whakatane wharf, andjs being carted to the sites of the bridges, via the new Whakatane-Galatea Boad. It was found that the road at the Te Teko end of the bluff was just sufficiently wide to permit the lorry with trailer attached to negotiate two sharp corners.