DEVELOPMENT OF LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20392, 22 October 1929, Page 12

DEVELOPMENT OF LAND.

SCOPE IN WAIROA COUNTY. BURDEN OF IDLE AREAS. STATE AND NATIVE OWNERS. [fi? TEI^EGXIAPH.—PHESS ASSOCIATION.] ■WAIROA, Monday, Speaking at tho annual meeting of the Wairoa Farmers' Co-oporativo Meat Company to-day, tho chairman of directors, Mr. J. S. Jessep, a member of tho Meat Board and vice-president of the New Zealand Sheepfarmers' Federation, stated that tho future of tho company depended entirely upon further developments in the Wairoa County. Probably no county in New Zealand contained a larger area of good to fair and medium undeveloped land. Year after year ho had fruitlessly pressed for tho development and occupation of largo areas of Crown and nativo lands. Ono block of 30,000 acres of quito good land had now lain undeveloped for 20 years. Thirty years ago the area carried over 30,000 sheep when leased by Europeans from natives, but it piissed back into nativo hands. The State purchased between 6000 and 8000 acres, tho balance remaining unindividualised nativo land. Nothing had been done with the land purchased by the State and the entiro block remained idle harbouring noxious weeds and going, further back every year. The East Coast railway was being constructed through tho centro of the block. Apparently the nativo ownors, who many years addod nothing to tho production of tho Dominion and paid no rates or taxes whatevor, would benefit from tho State undertaking. This was only ono instanco of many. As was well known by practical men much of tho land in tho Wairoa district could only bo broken in from tho virgin stato if handled in largo areas. The settlers until recently wero entirely isolated and faced with tremendous difficulties through lack of roads and transport facilities. Not only had they to pay heavy county ratos for the.construction of makeshift taads, but they also had to carry on their backs tho share of the rates that should have been borne by native owners and Crown lands. To cap all, it was now proposed to reward them for their efforts by increasing their taxation without any reference to the fact that thcro still remained largo , areas, of undeveloped lands in tho district. Absurdity could go no further than to suggest increased taxation based on area of land without any reference as to whether such land was suitable for subdivision or not, concluded Mr. Jessep. Even the. proposal of such legislation had been a very distinct setback to development and certainly was not conducive to further development and- production upon which the prosperity of the Dominion depended. . <■ ■