THE WILDEN ESTATE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20521, 24 March 1930, Page 11

THE WILDEN ESTATE.

DEFENCE OF ACQUISITION. NEIGHBOURING SUBDIVISION. ELEVEN SECTIONS FOR .BALLOT. A statement has been issued by the Minister of Lands, the Hon. G. W. Forbes, reviewing the Government's operations in regard to land settlement, in somewhat greater detail than a similar review published about a month ago. In the course of it the Minister explains the methods by which the value of estates to be acquired is determined, and refers to the recent purchase of the Wilden estate.

Mr. Forbes said that before a decision to purchase a property is made three separate valuations are made for the Government, and if the price at which the property is offered, or can be secured, is within reasonable measure of the valuation determined by the Land Purchase Board an amicable and satisfactory settlement is usually reached. "A fair prico is offered, and only a fair price is paid," the Minister declared, "and I ha,ve the reassuring statement from the Lands Department that on no occasion has a property been purchased for more than the price previously determined by the Land Purchase Board."

Referring to the Wilden estate purchase, the Minister explained that in his opinion the property was eminently suitable for settlement purposes, and was one of the finest of its kind offered to the Government. SiUisted near Heriot, South Otago, it contained 15,174 acres freehold and 8890 acres held under pastoral lease. The total area was therefore 24,064 acres of agricultural and pastoral land, and this would be subdivided for closer settlement purposes into about 14 suitable areas. He was confident that the number of applications would prove the wisdom of the Government's action in acquiring. It was not, as evidently some critics erroneously assumed, all pastoral land—there was some splendid agricultural land included in the estate, and in every respect it was most suitable for subdivision.

"It seems to have been forgotten," added Mr. Forbes, "that in 1925 the Reform Government resumed a pastoral run adjoining this same estate—s2,ooo acres of pastoral lease—and divided "it into five runs. Of these four were offered for closer settlement, the lessee, Mr. R. Acton Adams, being allowed to retain one pastoral run. I do not remember any protests being made then by the Reform journals at the action of the Government. Probably the argument would be the other way." Applications have been invited by the commissioner of Crown lands, Otago, for 11 sections, ranging from 563 to 4226 acres, in the Wilden estate, the land being offered on renewable lease at half-yearly rentals of from £125 to £197. Applications close on March 31. The ballot will be held at Tapanui a few days later. The block lies to the south of the Clutha River, its nearest point to the railway being four miles from Edievale, the terminus of the Tapanui branch line. According to the official description, the block is mixed agricultural and pastoral land, most of the former being undulating land, with ploughable areas on good open ridges, capable of growing excellent crops of turnips, oats, rape and grass. The pastoral land is composed of "very good to fair grazing country, a fair portion being winter country."