THE WAIKATO LANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume III, Issue 702, 13 February 1866, Page 4

THE WAIKATO LANDS.

A jiEroitT by Major Heapliy on the lands m tlie Waikato District, that have accrued to tlie Government under the New Zealand Settlements' Act, 18G3, lias been laid before the General Government. From this document, it appears tliat tho whole confiscated area is about 1,145,94.3 acres. The immigrants and tlie military settlers, it appears, have had the best land .allotted to them in their respective districts. These have thus absorbed about three-fourths of the best land in the confiscated districts. The value of the lands remaining for sale within the Northern blocks, has been coiiaiderably enhanced by the formation of roads by immigrants. "We are sorry to find that no reserves have been made in the Militia districts. The most eligible lands for settlement are, first, the Pukekawa District, extending from Kohekolie to the "Waikato Heads, 42.000 acres. Particular attention is called to this fine district. There is an extent of about 5,000 acres of first-rate volcanic land, the whole district is interspersed with forest, is of easy access, lies between Port of Waikato Heads and the present termination of tlie Great South Koad ; it extends along the river; no great outlay would be necessary for road making, and with short branch roads water communication from its most fertile portions to the "Waikato Heads would be available. Second, the Paparata District, including the Ararimu, 52,000 acres, contains some very good land; the Ararimu is divided by surveyed roads into blocks of about 700 acres each. Some of it is heavily wooded. Third, the "Waitetuna district, 10,500 acres, is on the direct road from Raglan to Alexandra, contains some good land, well wooded,'* and lies ■ between the two settlements above named. Fourth, the "Wliangape district, containing 50,000 acres, lying about the "Wliangape Lake is not fit for immediate settlement.

The swamp lands of the Waikato to comprise 108,660 acres. Of these 75,6G0 may he drained by opening out natural hollows that are on a lower level thaii the swamps, tlie adjacent rivers being some 20 to 70 feet below the mean level of the swamps. Byelearing out gullies and removing dams made by the natives, these swamps could be drained at a little cost, and the land reclaimed would be peculiarly fertile and valuable, the' soil consisting of deep accumulations of vegetable substances, and the means of irrigation being at command. " By cutting main drains in continuation " of the natural hollows or gullies, a very " large extent of land would be immediately " reclaimed. If the soil from such cuttings " were banked up alongside of the trunk drain, roadways might be formed to give " access across the larger swamps, and in " several places, considerable road circuits " avoided, " Lateral branches from the trunk drains " would ultimately be requisite to completely " drain the swamps, but a large proportion " of the surface would be recovered by tho " trunk drains only, sufficient to supply lands " for cash sales to afford means of further " expenditure and reclaiming. "It isdesirablethat the countrybetweentlie " Waikato Taupo, and the Piako should be ex- " amined, with a view to ascertaining whether " or not a canal might conveniently be taken " from the head of the Mangawharo into a " branch of the • Piako. The country is reported as lying low, and a canal judiciously " eut might be the means of draining a con- " siderable extent of country, and of transferring the traffic of the Waikato and " Waipa into the Piako, and to Auckland "by the Thames Gulf." These suggestions are exceedingly valuable, for the drainage of the swamps would be at onco reproductive, and give employment to a considerable number of people, who, if they had lauds given them, or even sold to them at a cheap rate, would at onco form the nucleus of a population, among whom capitalists would be attracted by the excellent reclaimed lands. TV e have already advocated the drainage ot the Piako swamp, and trust this will be very seriously considered by the authorities, as also the proposed canal, that would so very materially shorten the distance between Auckland and the Waikato. The above form an. abstract of the main points of the report, and from the details we have given it will be at once seen, that there is much useful information in it,'and several valuable suggestions. We shall discuss soino of these at another time.