POHANGINA SCENIC RESERVE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1862, 12 July 1920, Page 6

POHANGINA SCENIC RESERVE.

SUGGESTED CUTTING UP FOR SETTLBMBN'J'. Join between a desire to <!o their duty to returned soldiers and a reluctance, to sanction tliu d&molition ol n beautitul scenic rosorvo, the i'onaugina County Council on Saturday laced the. question of approving or otherwise a petition to the Hon. U. li. Guthrie ' Minister for Lands. Jhe petition* which had boon forwarded direct to the Minister by the signatories and returned bv him lor the' Council s recommendations, was signed by 53 settlor.-, and returned soldiers. It asked that the reservations bo removed from the .scenic reserves fronting the I'ohangma river trom Mr Knight's boundary in the Lmuloi .survey district, to Digger's (reek at Komako, mi area of 517 acred, lor the use of returned soldiers who had already applied for it to make homes lor themselves. the petitioners ulso stated that they considered scenic reserves were no!- required in 'hat locality. being 36 miles from Palmerston North, and further maintained that the reserves as homesteads would he an asset to the Country and incur no further expenditure in loading. . . A counter-petition was also received, signed by 16 settlers, emphatically protesting against lifting the restrictions from any of the reserves. , Regurding the petition lor the lifting ol the restrictions Councillor Arbon said that ho for one would not recommend it. Most of the reserve was in that portion of the countv lie represented, ami if it were cut up they would derive a little extra revenue in rates but thev were prepared to forego that 'to preserve the bush lor the bench! ~l' all. He understood two returned soldiers had applied for the land and there was a certain amount, of sentiment attached to it, hut he was of the opinion that there were •=uvmillers at the hack of the movement. The bush contained a lot of totara timber, !„n it belonged to the co y as a whole and tnev would not be justiiicu in letting ,!„. w d„e ol' this timber go into the pockets ~!' the sawinillers. If tiny recommended ,|,e removal of the restrictions from this reserve it would he the thin end of (lie wedge for getting the big reserves. 'I his was the onlv bush within 100 miles ol Palmoiston North; they should consider t 1,.,1, :I „«I he hoped the i otn.cil would turn :!„■ proposal down. If lie-,' recommended (he petition thev would have other lo'al bodies possessing scenic reserves up against i in-iii, and in view of the big alt ore station scheme the Uovenunent was going in for, he did not think the Government should |consider the petition. . : : Councillor Port; agreed with tho previous

Councillor Brooking: I don't, think there's enough timber on the reserve to mala- it worth putting in a mill. Councillor Arbon: 1 have been told by snvcra.l people that the sawmillors are after Questioned, the engineer stated that, therewas enough totara to make il worth while putting in a mill to cut timber for bridges-, Councillor Osborne suggested that, land lor the soldiers might be provided by some of those present cutting a block oil their holdings. Councillor Port asked the speaker how ho would like to have the reserve, for a farm. . Councillor Osborne: I wouldn't have it. Councillor Stracban: If there was any benefit in it I'd like to see tho soldier-; get it. ,|, Councillor Port: If we let that go, well have to let, the lot go. Councillor Beethani understood that thero was some fine land behind Mr Knight.i property which might, be had for settlement and which would not interfere with tho reserves. Councillor Osborne ..said lie understood an application had recently gone in for 4,000 acres in that locality. j ' The chairman (Councillor 11. \V. Smart) stated that ho was sure there was not, one councillor who did not want to see returned men settled on the land. It had been put to them that returned soldiers wanted the hind in question, and that they should advocate lifting the restrictions. On the, other hand the Government had 700.000 acres of land at tho present iime for selection. Tho onus was on the Government to ret enough land for the returned men. , There won! some landowners in XtW-ZMkuni' holding large tracts which ought to be cut up. As Councillor Osborne had said, the necessary land could lx> found by the large, owners cutting off a block from their holdings, but it could not be said that any Pohangina farmer owned large holdings. They must regard the scenic reserve as a national asset, and lie, did not think there was a better trip from a scenic point of view anywhere in New Zealand than that hot ween Raumai and Tnmnki. They bad to consider it not only as a scenic reserve, but also as land of national value. A motion by Councillor-'Brooking that iho petition I*' supported was defeated on the chairman's casting vote. Tho-e voting for the motion were: Councillors Brooking, Strachan. and Osborne. Against: Councillors Arbon, Port, Beetham, and the chairman (Councillor Smaii).