MINISTER FOR LANDS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume L, Issue 7957, 8 April 1922, Page 4

MINISTER FOR LANDS

VISIT TO WHAKATANE

(Per Press Associui'.c.n—Copyright ,j Whakatane, April 7. The Minister for Lauds, accompanied by ilr Thompson, undersecretary, XI r Broderick, ex under secretary, and Mr Skeat, Crown Lands Commissioner, arrived last evening, having inspected the Bangi taiki drainage works and soldier settlements on drained lands. The Minister said ho was impressed at his last visit by the extraordinary success of the work of drainage, and was doubly impressed this time. Great development will take place, and there was a vast future before the plains, and settlement, for which the natural port was Whakatane. The soldier settlements were all very satisfactory, and greatly pleased him. Ihe drainage of the Bangataiki, Hauraki, Waihi and Tc Puke swamps, was an object lesson to the Dominion, but these were only a portion of the ‘lands to be drained. There was the problem to irrigate central Otago and develop the pumice lands, which was a promising field for experiment and gumlands treatment had already been mastered. The Department was draining the llikurangi and Kaitaiia swamps, and he hoped also. 50,000 acres in ihe south. The war had doubled the national debt and the only way to carry it was to use the other half of the Dominion lands now unproductive and double the production to enable, us to carry the taxes. I he XJrewera portion of the land would be on the market soon and would be a great stock raising area, although some of it was suitable for dairying. The Department was reserving adequate forest areas, lie paid a high compliment to Mr Thompson, the chief drainage engineer for his skill and pluck in handling the big drainage problems. Mr Skeat mentioned that Mr Thompson had drained the Peaks against the advice of the .Department, which’said it could not be done. Several deputations waited on the Minister after which the parly left for the Waihi swamp, Rotorua, Beperoa and Waiotopi,