KING COUNTRY LANDS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19748, 12 October 1929, Page 10

KING COUNTRY LANDS.

CLOSER SETTLEMENT URGED. ,13153 l!IC:Ii:!OH lIUOUK.I WELLINGTON. October 11. Sir A. T. ir formed a King Country deputation that yesterday waited on :h<* 11 :: Mr Forbes and himself that he protwsed to spend three months ot the recess in that district with u view to investigating the question of native land?. The deputation represented the local bodies ot the district.

Mr BroadtV. ■'., M.P.. said the deputation felt that the best way to serve the interests ft local bodies was by facilitating settlement, which should, ;t nov»ibU-. be on the district plan. Mr l/o-ngan. representing the Te Kuiti Ch.imk't of Commerce and the Waitomo Power U-cird. advocated the placing of nativ■■> (.•>. th« same footing a.- Kiropcan-. i:T or.br that all might have the same facilities for developing land. Without taking into account native land-* the settlement or the King Country would be a wash-out. Regret that no particular reference to native land- was contained in the Land Laws Amendment Bill was expressed by Mr Jonen, representing the Waitomo and Waipa County Councils. Mr Foi bes: We can purchase and settle native lands.

Mr Jones said he was pleased to hear that. Native land constituted a most difficult problem. The settlers of Waitomo County had a district that was wvl! roaded, but the fact that most of the native lands paid no rates made the situation awkward. There was a lot of good native land near the main roads. It was very suitable for farming in 200-acre blocks. Other speakers stressed such points as the menaoe from ragwort and blackberry if absentee lands were not farmed.

Mr Forbes, in a short reply, sai'i he had been impressed with the amount of land capable of increased settlement He looked to the Kim; Country to provide a good deal of land that would be settled under the Government settlement policy. Sir A. T. Ngata intimated his intention to concentrate on the King Country.