CLOSER SETTLEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 20253, 14 August 1929, Page 12

CLOSER SETTLEMENT

ROCKFORD BOUGHT BY CROWN GUT UP INTO FOUR FARMS 'Mr John Macdonald, Deputy-commis-sioner, announced at this morning s meeting of the Otago Land Board that the Crown has acquired Rockford, one of the subdivisions of the bid Clydevalel estate It measures 1,737 acres, and has been cut up into four farms, the smallest of 244 acres, the largest 569 acres. These farms are to be opened, for selection on renewable lease on September 10 at half-yearly rentals ranging from £44 5s to £llO ss. Possession will be given to the new settlers on Seotember 20. , . Mr Macdonald added that tins land was a subdivision of the Clydevale estate that was originally owned by the New Zealand and Australian Land Company. A syndicate bought the property from the company and cut it up twenty-one years ago. The seller now to the Crown was Mr E F. Dorman, who owned a property at Happy Valley, Wellington; The reports to the board indicated that the Crown had bought at a bargain; also that the land responds in a marked degree to liming ,and that the men who now come in, if prepared to work the properties in earnest, have really good chances of becoming very successful. The purchase by. the Crown was effected by the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, the manager of which said that there would bo no difficulty about financing the incomers if they were of the eligible spiffIn answer _ to Mr _ Kinney _ the De-puty-commissioner said he believed the price paid by the Crown was about £7 16s per acre. Further questions elicited the information that access was by a good roadnine miles long from Clinton, also by Wnipalii and Balclutha. Field-inspector A. T. N. Simpson, the officer who viewed Rockford, explained to members the nature of the land, saying amongst other things that it lies I to the sun, that there are no reading | expenses to be faced, and that there is I abundant coal handy.