LAND SETTLEMENT

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 11 January 1930, Page 4

LAND SETTLEMENT

EARLY DEVELOPMENTS. • PAKIH.I LAND EXPERIMENT. (By Telegraph—Special to “The Star.".) WELLINGTON, Jan. 11. “The Lund Development Boards appointed to assist the central boturd in regard to land settlement will,” stated the Minister of Lands: (Hon. G. V . Forbes) in an interview with, yonr coiiespendent, “meet at an early date, ana they have been asked to exercise expedition in their inspections of suitable areas of land for subdivision. “We expect (tot get results in a short time,” said the Minister, “and tlie land settlement policy wild soon be in lull swing. It is my; intention t-..<vards the end of January to visit the no:them part of the Auckland Province to insuect Uands likely to- be suitable for the land' development scheme, under which, areas will be prepared for settlement before -being taken up. The breaking-iii process will be under the direction of the Department of Agriculture and, where possible, will be bandied on a large scale, utilising machinery such as tractors.” MAORI LAND DEVELOPMENT. Mr. Forbes mentioned that under the guidance of Sir Apirana Nga-ta (Native Minister) a number of Maoris are taking advantage of the land development financial facilities in last session’s amendment to the Native Land Act to take in hand a block of •pumice land close to Taupo and adjoining the Guthrie settlement. Tihey wfd work on a mutual! system, paying wag-es and retaining a certain portion for their use when open lor settlement. There is 'another area <_f £SOO acres in the same district which tlie Lands Department is surveying for use under the lands development scheme for Europeans. There are large areas of waste lands in New Zealand known us pakiki lands, waterlogged and having a bard pan and no drainage. ‘These lands,” remarked Mr Forbes, “have been looked on as impossible to sc the, but the Lands Development Board has just arranged ior the Department of Agriculture to thoroughly test out the grassing possibilities of 150 acres of pakibi Hand, and a start will he made immediately.