"WHITE ELEPHANT"

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 2, 2 July 1913, Page 10

"WHITE ELEPHANT"

NORMANDALE .SETTLEMENT RESIDENTS APPEAL FOR GOVERNMENT INTEREST. Urgent representations were made to the Prime Minister yesterday by a deputation of Normandale settlers that the option of the Petone Borough Council over a large section of the land there, reserved as a- catchment area, had blocked the progress of the settlement. They appealed for further subdivision of the land into small residential sections, and, generally, asked that what they considered the neglect of the settlement should not be continued. Mr. Massey, in reply, promised immediate investigation of the matter, and that some sections would be put up for sale. In introducing the deputation, Mr. W. H. D. Bell stated that it was present because the Prime Minister had been reported to have said to a Petone deputation that "the Government would be very glad to get out of the Normandale Settlement." Mr. H. A.' Mason asked the Prime Minister to prevent the Petone Borough Council from acquiring land in Normandale for a catchment area, because it would retard further settlement. He did not understand why Petone wanted the land, because that suburb was going to be largely populated, and would require a pure water supply. This could be obtained , by connection with the city mains. Th 6 settlement, had been termed a "white elephant"' by Petone, but "when oui elephant has been carefully handled by you, air (addressing Mr. ■Massey), and sheds its coat of noxious weeds, it will be capable of carrying hundreds of settlers." Mr. Massey : "The white elephant wants shearing." Mr. R. B. Bell pointed out that in the first subdivision every email section was taken up readily. About two years after the w,a« started the Petone Borough Council obtained 200 acres of land for a catchment area. Nobody would take up sections with that option of tho Borough Council's hanging over them. When the- Education Board wanted to remove the school to this land, for convenience of settlers, the council said no. The speaker referred to the 'great growth of gorse and ragwort on the unused land — a growth which was a menace to the settled land adjacent. Tenders had been invited for the clearing of the weeda, and several hundreds of pounds piovided on the estimates, but nothing was done, as the tenders were too high. Mr. Bell urged the subdivision -of the' larger unoccupied aectiona into areas, say, beginning at half an acre, suitable for homes. He was satisfied that if the clearing of the weeds and some necessary roadmg were done, more settlers would be attracted— Normandale would be a white elephant no longer ; it would pay handsomely. The speaker asked for some consideration from the Lands Department for the extra expense the settlers had been put to in keeping their sections clean. Of 800 acres, only about 91 were occupied. The unsettled area had never been offered for selection. Mr. Massey : I will get over that difficulty. * These points were emphasised -by Mr. J. Lewis, who expressed the opinion that if the place were advertised, subdivided, and roaded many people in Wellington looking for homes would be glad of the chance to get m, section. There were large sections within ten minutes of the station available for subdivision. There had been something wrong, he hazarded, in the past management of this particular settlement. Mr. W. H. D. Bell put forward a suggestion made to him hy on« of the deputation, that many would-be settlers were repelled by the word "settlement" — "estate" was more euphonious.