UTILISATION OF WASTE LANDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13516, 13 February 1906, Page 6

UTILISATION OF WASTE LANDS.

TO THE EDITOB. Sib,—ln. substantiation of the statements of Mt D'Esterre's article a» to the idea* 'in the north that there is t waste of public •money on the railways here, I have heard the same argument brought forward on the platform, before a large audience—that the Otago Central railway went nowhere in particular. Thoso who advocate euch a theory know nothing of the geography of TvVw Zealand, or are ignorant of the • capabilities of Otago with its large areas of fertile country now being opened up, by the advance of the Une. I also admit that wo in the south are much on the same footing with respect to our fellows ■in the north and what their requirements are, Having travelled New Zealand, I can ■ express an unbiassed opinion, on the capabilities of our Britain of the south, and more .particularly of the Auckland province under a different land administration. Not bcing_ over conversant with the arens of the various native blocks of waste lands ,in Auckland,.l will not endeavour to enter into detail. Mr D'Estcrre in his article " Auckland As It Is" has given us a good ouilino of the province. Could not our members of Parliament concern themselves with regard to the waste land ques•■tion in more earnest? I would sucrgesb that Maori representatives of the House be persuaded that the utilisation of the Native waste lands would be beneficial to the race. I? the Government took over, under the Land for Settlements Act, some of the blocks " now lying in their wild stale" and gave the Native owners fair valuation, Ihc money accruing therefrom could he invested in the interest of the Maori, and would bo productive instead of heing locked up in waste land. The Native lands of tho various provinces—" but I am speaking cf Auckland in .particular"—are receiving advantages, by railway extension, which arc •not availed of. Is it not. bad' diplomacy to leave these great blocks of land unoccupied? I think I have ehown where the Maoris would , benefit, and also New Zealand as a whole. The population of the various provinces would be greatly »nla,Tgcrt, whic|i would add materially to the prosperily of our colony.—l ana, etc.. Half-caste.