TAUPO RAILWAY

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 7, 3 October 1929, Page 9

TAUPO RAILWAY

QUESTION OF SETTLEMENT

LINE A VITAL FACTOR A SLOW RETURN The construction of the Roto-rua-Taupo line would not be justified for the transport of timber only, stated a Departmental witness before the Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry yesterday. Another witness sought to show how expensive the development of the land would be, and said that settlement and railway service were bound np with each other.

Mr. Norman James Dolamore, forest assistant, of the State, Forest Service at Rotorua, said the only State forest land in the area which would be served by the line consisted of 217,347 acres, of which 153,000 acres had been planted to date. On the native land on the eastern side there were about 80 million feet of timber. There were also considerable areas to the west, but the greater part of it would not be accessible from the proposed line. The Department estimated that there were 113,000,000 feet of timber within reasonable access, but it was hardly likely ’hat it would tap the timber in the Urewera Country, which would probably be taken out by another route. Little of the timber available would be ready for at least ten years, so that the construction of the line would not be justified for the transport of timber only. Land which had been privately reafforested would not be yielding timber for 30 years or more. As the timber matured it would probably be necessary to have a line to take it out. A bush tramway or railway would be preferable to taking it out by road, but he did not think a standard railway would be necessary. Replying to questions, witness said the cost of transporting timber by road for distances of 40 to 50 miles was ss. 6d. to 6s. per 100 feet. Pioneer Spirit Needed. Mr. James Baird Campbell, sheepfarmer, of Havelock North, said the Matarawa Land Company, of which he was manager, had 5500 acres about 12 miles from Potaruru. There was no waste unplotighable land, and it was watered by two permanent streams. They commenced work in 1917, and settlers were doing well, the condition of the land making it carry fully two cows to the acre. The principal difficulty in pumice country was to get it to carry permanent pasture. Consolidation of the land was necessary, and took from five to twenty years. There were pastures at Matarawa equal to any in the North Island, but it was necessary to spend up to £l2 an acre on it. Witness gave details as to the work necessary to farm successfully on that land, and quoted figures to show that it had been done. , .... To Mr. H. S. Kyle, witness said his company did not put settlers on, undeveloped land, the company developing it up to £23 an acre. His company would not care to go on with the development of anv further undeveloped country beyond what they had. The land in the Taupo country was not as good as theirs. He agreed that developments eould not be carried on without railways, for the two went together. Regarding the Reperoa country, it was starved for want ot more capital, but if more money was spent on it then it would come all right. In the pumice’ country the human element was everything. He must have the real pioneer spirit and work 24 hours a day. “You know what I mean,’ he added; “he has got to go for it.”

Job For Unemployed.

To Mr. R. Semple, witness said he was aware that there was a chronic unemployment problem in New Zealand, and unless a solution was found the men would become a charge on the nation. He agreed that with selected men, who would take off their coats and work under supervision. no doubt the Government could settle some of that country. If there was a chance of the men ultimately owning the sections after making payments over a short period of years, he thought that would be a better scheme. Group settlement would need to be under the supervision of a practical farmer. Mr. Semple suggested that team work would do the job more quickly—putting a dozen men on a section and brin„ ing it into cultivation. “No doubt a lot of that work could be done more cheaply on a large I ®’ big party taking on 1000 acres, said Wi Mr S Semple said large sums were being paid out in charitable aid, and he sii_ gested that it would be better to gave suitable men the opportunity of Rett l ”'- a home of their own and giving some re turn to the nation for the help given to th Witness agreed that there wouldl be some chance of getting. back the , money spent in charitable aid if that were done and said it might be done on the land up to a certain point He did not think velopment should precede railway or vice versa, as the two were bound up in each other. He suggested that it would be better tn effect settlement by purchasing developed land, say 5000 acres, and cutting Pit up into farms of 500 acres, which would result in increased production. Subdivide Dairy Land. Mr. F. Lye: Are you of opinion that in a scheme of settlement it would pay the Government handsomely to consider seriously the subdivision of land in the rich dairying districts before undertaking settlement on the poor pumice areas. I The I young settler cannot afford to wait for a return?—“That is so.” The subdivision of dairying land in rich districts would offer greater opportunities for the settlement of many youn„ men to-day than endeavouring tn develop th ToMr°Vaile,’witness said his company would not get its money back until every block was developed. It paid t.s and’£s an acre for some of the land Fruitless Efforts. Mr Alfred H. Cockayne Assistant-Director-General of Agriculture, said the water supply was of first importance n developing the land in this country for dairying. It was moderately well watered so far as large holdings were concerned, but badly watered so far as small hold ings were concerned. It was for a proper investigation to say what areas were adequately watered. A good deal had been said about the land being suitable for close settlement, but development had been slow, and had not induced much in the way of private enterprise. The most significant fact was that the noble efforts of pioneers had led to, iery little result. The possibilities from an afforestation point of was attractive so far as outside capital was con cerned, but for farming developments the numice land was attracting very little attention from the private investor’s standpoint. Possibly lack of access was one factor, but it had been shown that fertilisers could be conveyed from the railhead,.a distance of 20 mues, for ±1 a ton A good deal of the land, in his op&. would require more money to develbp it than would be available A lot of land would have to be settled in New Zealand, but he thought the cost woffid be greater than the return, particiiiarly in the earlier years From the national standpoint it would be expenditure which the nation would have to pay for. The cost of developing the better areas of Taupo land, buildings, stock, water etc., he thought, would have to be capitalised at about £3O an acre. It could only be developed by full expenditure and high production, and about 150 to 200 acres would be sufficient for a holding. The total area which could be developed, even at a considerable loss, would not be anything like as much as many people imaginea. It would not run into millions of acres. The inquiry was adjourned until 9.30 a.m. to-day.