IDLE PUMICE LANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15655, 25 June 1914, Page 8

IDLE PUMICE LANDS.

AOOEBS URGENTLY NEEDED. ROADS OR RAILWAYS. STATEMENT BY PREMIER. (Nt TEMORAW.—OWN COBBESPONDENT.] WKtMKOioJf, Wednesday. The existence in the North Island of a large central plateau, comprising many thousand acres of land which is practically lying idle, was referred to at the meeting the Board 'of Agriculture. The chairman of the board (Mr. J. C, Wilson), in referring to the matter, said the natives there had large areas of land, and weeds Such as Californian,thistle, ragwort and sweetbriar, ware spreading over hundreds of acres. "There is plenty of land on ,that plateau," he continued,

" which grow excellent grass and turnips. The one thing wanted is mannrjs, and in order to get manure to that class of country yon must have access. There is no access. At the present time the roads there are practically impassable, Bullock - drays are stuck constantly, and the drivers themselves have actually to mend the roads in order to get through at all. That is not a satisfactory stale of affairs, and when yon recollect that 10,000 fat sheep left Rotorua for Auckland last year, it shows that there is an enormous, future for that district. The' soil is good, and all that is .wanted is plant food, in the shape of ! manure. ; This means that roads must be provided. Will the Minister supply them!" he asked. The Prime Minister, who was present, said' ; that he had taken the opportunity j about 15 months ago of looking at the pumice country referred to by the chairman. " A lot of it has been taken up by private individuals in very large blocks.m some cases up to 60,000 acres'and 70,000 acres—and much of it still romalns in the bands of the natives," he remarked, ''but) there is a fairly large proportion held :by the Crown and as far as the Crown is concerned, we propose to go on settling it aa opportunity offers, f propose to go on surveying Those blocks and having them cut up into suitable sizes so ■•that they may be available to settlers. 1 would willingly do a great, deal mow in 'that'direction, but the great drawback is the difficulty in getting fertiliser and even if we made the reads I am afraid the expense of cartage would be prohibitive. Personalty I do not think wo shall be able to deal satisfactorily with the greater part of that country until we have railway communication and the settlers 'able to got-their fertilisers there at railway rates." Mr. Massey pointed out, however that all the land was riot , pumice country and that there was a considerable area of other land in the locality.