LAND SETTLEMENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 110, 5 April 1930, Page 8

LAND SETTLEMENT

GOVERNMENT'S ACTIVITIES. BREAKING IN ’UNDEVELOPED AREAS. More than £500,000 has been paid by the Government in tho. acquisition of private estates for closer settlement, according to information curtained in an official review of the State’s activities in this direction that has been issued. Approximately 154 new holdings will be provided by the subdivisions. “While it is intended to utilise the provisions of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1929, for the development and settlement of idle Crown lands in all cases,” states the review, “it is at the same time proposed to proceed with the purchase of private estates that can be acquired at prices allowing for successful occupancy under subdivision, and this particular matter has received ihe close attention of the Dominion Laud Purchase Board.” It is shown that since tho ment came into office some 955 offers of properties have' been received,' tho bulk of which have been disposed of in various ways. In the majority of cases inspections have been made, but a number of offers were considered to be so obviously unsuitable that inspections of the properties concerned were not arranged. In all, some 545 inspections have been made, and 664 offers declined. . The number of properties purchased is 33, emprising of an area of 53,840 acres, and involving a total purchase price of £564,089. The total number of subdivisions to be provided for closer settlement is approximately 154. Seven of the purchases were arranged under the group settlement system, the area of the properties concerned totalling 2233 acres, the purchase price £66,240, and the number of subdivisions 24. There are also at the present time several other properties which are under consideration. The Land Purchase Board states that it is confident that the purchases so far made are sound with regard +o price, quality and general adaptability. PROPERTIES PURCHASED. Ten of the purchased properties have already been offered for selection, particulars being as follow: Moanaroa —Area, 997 acres; sections, 3; grain and mixed farming. Welburn—Area, 565 acres; sections, 6; dairying. Rockford —Area, 1737 acres; sections, 4; dairying and mixed farming. Murraytield—Area, 16/6 acres; sections, 2; mixed farming. Tamatea—Area, y 77 acres; sections, 7; dairying. Brinklands —Area, 1720 acres; sections, 3; mixed farming. Aponga—Area, 0060 acres; sections,, 6; Fernhill—Area, 1495 acres; sections, 5; dairying. Brydone—Area, 355 acres; sections, 2; grazing. Raupo—Area, 907 acres; sections, 4; dairying. Wilden—Area, 24,005 acres ; sections, 13; ' grazing and mixed farming. Two sections .totalling 7053 acres were allotted without competition to former employees on the estate. The remaining eleven, totalling 16,952 were balloted for on Wednesday last. The following have been subdivided and advertised, and are being balloted for at a very early date. Tapanui—Area, 1497 acres; sections, 9; dairying, cropping and grazmg. Roacberry—Area, 0912 acres; sections, 15; mixed farming. .... i Clunes —Area, 1 420 acres; sections, 8; mixed farming. -oUSUAL ACTIVITIES. The usual settlement activities of the department have proceeded as heretofore, the review adds, and the ordinary requirements of land settlement have been met by the offering of Crown lands in various districts. During .the fifteen months which ended on February' 28 last some 468,915 acres of Crown lands (all tenures) were selected in 2212 subdivisions. These selections were divided between permanent and tmporary tenures as under: : — Holdings. Total area. Permanent tenures ..i '1,536 387,422 Temporary tenures ... 676 81,493 * 2,212 468,915' The total includes 190,000 acres of pastoral runs selected 'on pastoral license. During the same 15 months some 358 tenants holding Crown sections on leacc or license acquired the tee simple of their farms. The total purchase money on the granting of freehold title amounted to over £113,000. Tenants on acquiring the freehold are no longer shown on the department’s books, and are subtracted from the total number of lessees holding lands from, the Crown.