TAUPO-TOTARA COMPANY’S PETITION.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 234, 6 September 1912, Page 6

TAUPO-TOTARA COMPANY’S PETITION.

GOVER N M EX T PU R C HASE RECOMMENDED. Wellington, Sept. 6. The Taupo-Totara Company's petition was further investigated, by the select committee to-day. Sir John Findlay, for the company, -aid he could not allow the company to rest under the imputation that any inducement had been offered by ;r. The company asked for no concessions now. They simply put a business proposition before the Government.

Mr. AV. C. Kensington, late I ndmSecretary for Lands, supplemented the evidence given by him when the matter was last before Parliament. In the past two years there had been an extraordinary change in public opinion as to native pumice lands which was capable of being utilised to considerable prefit. He considered it would be better for the Government to take over the Taupo-Totara Line (v»heu completed) at £lBo,Vob rather than wait until the line from Rotorua could be completed. The latter could not be constructed at less than £BOOO or £7OOO per mile Mr. Kensington added that the suggested line from Rotorua would serve very little Crown lands, whereas the Taupo-Totora line would serve most of them.

In reply to Mr. Buchanan, he said that he in an official capacity was partly responsible for the Crown land not being cut up and settled. He did not consider there was sufficient access to it. The best way to market this land was in small areas. The purchase of the company’s line by the Government would be a good bargain for the State. Mr. F. C. Barnett, fanner at Putaruru, gave evidence regarding the cost of cultivating the land. He believed that it would be a good thing for the Government to take over the company’s line. Approximately lipper acre would be a fair price for the land.