Bay of Plenty Times. SATURDAY, JULY 28th., 1931. LANDS FOR SELECTION.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LIX, Issue 10626, 25 July 1931, Page 2

Bay of Plenty Times. SATURDAY, JULY 28th., 1931. LANDS FOR SELECTION.

| There have been many inquiries of j late for unimproved lands in this district. W'e understand that the Department of Lands and Survey has under way the preparation of certain areas in the Apata and Te Puna Parishes for selection. Surveys are j being carried out and the question j pf road legalisation and formation is also receiving attention. As is well knowni there are numerous areas owned by absentees and natives which are lying in an unproductive state in this district. A country resident t near Taurauga, who at one time lived in Canada, says there is a special super-tax levied on unimproved lands in that country and this has a decided tendency to make owners of idle lands either improve or aell out. A similar enactment in New Zealand w’ould materially aid the progress of the Tauranga County. Then there are the idle lands owned by the Maoris. The local natives are handicapped for the want of money in the development of their areas. The PubMc Works in this district-—on which many Maoris were employed - are now completed, and if money wore made available, under reasonable safeguards, many Maoris would be encouraged to take up farming and convert their holdings to a productive condition. This is especially the aim of the natives of Matakana Island, who during the past few years have gone in for dairying and are I now milking some hundreds of cows. Many others at the island wish to follow’ dairying, but have not the Hinds to do so. More complete land development and the settlement of idle lands form Hie only alternative to unemployment, and any move | which tends to make more land | available for settlement will he welcoined.