USING IDLE LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20538, 12 April 1930, Page 13

USING IDLE LAND.

WHANGAMARINO BLOCK.

SETTLEMENT PROPOSAL.

GOVERNMENT ACTION URGED.

A scheme for bringing into use within 12 months a block of unproductive Crown land was put forward at the meeting of the executive of the New Zealand Land Settlement and Development League yesterday.

A report on an area of 2000 acres of Crown land near Mercer, between the Whangamarino and Maramarua Rivers, was presented by two expert contractors who had a wide knowledge of the block in question. The area was one mile from a tar-sealed road, and, according to the report, required the construction of a road, the clearing of some light scrub and the sowing down in grass, to bo available immediately for productive dairy farming. The report stated that the land could be converted by next autumn into sections of 75 acres, each section capable of carrying 35 cows, at a cost of £l2 an acre.

The estimated expenditure was:—Clearing and grassing the land, £7 10s an acre; fencing, £1 10s; reading, £3. For bringing the land into use it was calculated that 50 men would be required, of whom half could later take up the holdings. In addition, the road would be of benefit to thousands of acres and a number of present settlers. Mr. R. Glover-Clark pointed out that besides employing 50 men for the next 12 months, this scheme would, according to these figures, provido land without buildings for 25 farmers for £20,000. He mentioned that to put 11 settlers on the Wilden Estate had cost the, Government a total sum of £BI,OOO. The chairman, Mr. W. J. Holdsworth, said the Government had already spent over £500,000 on settled land, while here was an opportunity for people clamouring for land to be placed on a block, at present unproductive, already owned by the Crown, capable of great and easy development, and conveniently situated near a tar-sealed road and railway. The only steps taken by the Government as yet had been an investigation by the commissioner of Crown lands.

The secretary, Mr. N. G. Gribble, stated that in the Whangamarino riding there was a total of 56,000 acres of Crown land. The development of the potentially productive portion would lead to the employment of a number of men now workless.

On the motion of Mr. Glover-Clark, seconded by Mr. C. A. Arthur, the executive unanimously decided to forward to the Minister of Lands the following resolution:—That from the evidence set before it to day the league is convinced that the Whangamarino block of 2000 acres offers opportunities for immediate improvement, and holdings can be formed at a reasonable figure; and that the league urges the Government to tackle the problem at once, as it would give employment to large numbers of men, and would open up an area of Crown land at present proj ducing nothing."