LAND SETTLEMENT.

Grey River Argus, 2 March 1907, Page 3

LAND SETTLEMENT.

THE SARRYTOWN DISTRICT I •LOOKS TO BE THROWN OPEN. 0000 PASTORAL COUNTRY. A news item in yesterday's issue referred to the visit paid early in the week by Mr G. J. Roberts {Commissioner of Crown Lands) and Messrs Lang-, dimming and Pollock, members of the Westland Land Board to Barry town in connection with the throwing open shortly of. crown lands in that district for, settlement. The subject being one of considerable importance to this town to which tFe district visited, when opened up, will from a valuable feeder, a representative of The Argus interviewed Mr Roberts on his visit. The Commissioner stated that the visit was a long-promised one and was undertaken so that the members of the Board could see the country for themselves so that they could decide on the_best r means of cutting it up without being 'dependant on his (the Commissioner's) report alone. Mr Mallinson, the other member of the Board, was unable ta accompany the party owing to the demands of other business. ■ The party arrived in Barry town on Monday and next day they got horses and rode right to the northern boundary of the block which is to be art -up. The area available in the Barry town_J)lock is about 5000 acres. Mr John Ryall joined the party and was with it for a couple of days, his intimate knowledge of the country proving of great value to the members of the Board. i 'From a settlement point of view," remarked tEe Commissioner, "the position is a litthfcompUcated in thai the mining and flax-milling interests have to be considered and conserved. There are two large mining claims, one belonging to Mr Andrew McKay and the other, The Waiwhero, (belonging to a syndicate. Water has been brought in at great expense to work these claims which empioy a large number of men. We "have Kb so arrange the sub-division_of the block so that we do not Kinder those engaged in this very. great and important industry. To effect that the Board will con fer with the Warden, Mr Kenrick, and agree upon what lands should Be con served for mining purposes. Then with regard to the BaxmiUing industry, the Messrs Dennehy are anxious to obtain certain portions of the swamp land (which will not be so valuable* as other portions for settlement purposes) to devote to the cultivation of flax. Again, the interests of those people at present settlei on the. block, the pioneers of settlement in. the district, who have only temporary grazing leases, will be very carefully considered in the allotment of these lands. I don?t anticipate that there will be any difficulty in arriving at~ arrangements which will be satisfactory to all these interests ; the Warden I am sure will give us every assistance in the matters affecting the mining interests. AM parties will have an opportunity given them to lay their cases before the Board." "A large portion of the country," 'Mr Roberts continued, "is at present swampy but it can be very easily drained Without doubt, it is the richest swamp land on, the Coast Messrs Lang anH Cummings, who. are practical farmers and have had consdierable experience, of farming at Koka* tahi, looked at some of tne existing pastures and they say that Mr Warren and Mr Ryall have paddocks that are unequalled on the Coast ; of one of these Mr Lang said that he has never seen its like in any part of the colony. It is an eloquent testimony to the pro -ductiveness of. the land when cultivated. Up to the present the great trouble with the settlers has* been thalj they had no permanent tenure and this has operated aganst them reclaiming much of this land. There is also a large area of timber land which may be classed as light timber with a few odd large trees scattered here and there. Generally speaking there is only sufficient timber for local wants and not enough to warrant sawmilling on a large scale. Just recently some . beautiful hay has been secured and. housed and Mr Warren has an exceptionally fine field of oats — not long; strj.w but remarkably well-headed and dean. With the exception of a patch grown by Mr McKenzie and his mate on the beach, potatoes Bave been a . failure but turnips and cabbage and other vegetables have done, remarkably well. Messrs Lang and Cummings, after~seeing the country, have come to the conclusion that in a very few years there will be a very profit- ' able dairy industry in the district. MEANS OF ACCESS. "The making of. the road over the Nine Mile Bluff has greatly facilitated the safe ani easy acess to Barry town: and Mr Higgins, the Grey County engineer, is to to be conplimented on the fine grades he has secured and on the substantial manner in which the road ha? been" constructed — it is one of the best roads ever made in the district. Mr Fraser, who is under Mr Higgins, is at present busy pegging out a line along the beach from the Seven Mile to the Nine Mile and when this 'road is finished there will be no necessity for beach travelling until close to the Ten Mile. Beyond that the construction of another piece of road. is almost finished and when, these are joined' up there wlil only be a mile and a half of beach travelling to be done. Except at very great expense it would be impossible to make a road over the Ten Mile bluff similar to that over the Nine Mile. In the last few years there has been a wonder ful improvement in the road communication with Barry town and in a very short time there' will be very little to complain of on this score. In aJdi- ' tion there is access to the block by an Inland road which will greatly facilitate its subdivision." WHEN THE LAND WILL BE AVAILABLE, Asked if he could state approximately when the block would be open ■ for selection, Mr Roberts stated that a surveyor would toe on thgjland shortly and would make a detailed survey of - all the tiasses of soil comprised in the area, portion ought to be read^to.ibe^hrownr'opefrvfor selec-. tion in six mpnths. "I •. haven't thq. slightest. doubt,". Mr Roberts added, "that every, acre will be taken up when we get it on the market." THE PUNEKAIKAI COUNTRY. Regarding ;tbe Punekalkai block to the north of Barrytown Mr Roberts stated that the Board had sufficient information regarding it to be in a position to subdivide it when a little more survey work has been done. A few Js&nic reserves will probably be made but there is no necessity for further exploration, of the block and as there are ao mining interests involved there will be less delay than in the case of the Barrytown' block. By the end of next season to get the dray road fight into the Punekaikai block ; at present a dray can be taken within half a mile of it. The settlers will, . however, have to be' contented to take their drays up the river .bed but it is a small river with fine shingle and no difficulty ~is r exjjieriehced at : present in taking drays with fairly big loads up it. Speaking generally of the means •of access, to both '\ blocks Mr Roberts §ai<J that, from the point of itisw. of the settler In the Initial stages he was well content with, the present means / of access but he did not mean that it would be right not to improve them. ■•< To cure rheumatism, gout, sciatica and lumbago the excess poisonous uric acii must be. Temoved. Rhium^ 'will quickly arid permanently do this.l All chemists and stores, 2s 6d and 4s 6d per- bottle, Just^try it. : The agonising pain, stiffness, and soreness of the joints and muscles^ : felt by sufferers from rheum at ism r is rjuickly removed by Rhtumo All Chemists and stores, is 6S and 4s 6d Vii bottle. Try it.