A PARROT CRY

Otago Witness, Issue 3619, 24 July 1923, Page 28

A PARROT CRY

GOVERNMENT AND LAND SETTLEMENT. “TILE GARDEN OF OTAGO.” (From Och Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, July 17. ‘‘lt has become a parrot cry in Parliament that the Government had no land policy, and that without a land policy the country could not prosper,” said the Prime Minister, replying this morning to criticism on the subject. Although last year was not a good year in land settlement, as the Lands Department was busy during the year straightening out the lands on which the returned soldiers had boon placed, yet 1426 selector? took up 381,649 acres. There were 50,000 acres of swamp land reclaimed anti occupied, and 70,800 acres are under development. In the ease of freehold 141,G00 acres have been improved and developed. There were 2500 acres in tho Lees Valley Settlement drained and settled. There were 5000 acres in the Reparoa Settlement —a much-talked-of settlement where the cattle were supposed to be dying of starvation. The greater part of the Reparoa Settlement comprised some of the best land in New Zealand. —(“Hear, hear.”) There was aiso the Motieri Lake Settlement, in the north of Auckland. “I am surprised,-” said Mr Massey, “that more notice has not been taken of what is going on in Central Otago, particularly hr the Otago peoplo themselves. I have been to Central Otago on several occasions —long before I became a Minister, and from the reports I have received there is not the slightest doubt that it is possible to irrigate every acre of flat land in Central t)rago, and wherever water touches it the land will produce, and it, is especially suiffible for lucerne growing. What we are doing in Centra! Otago with irrigation and freehold will, as a writer said, turn a desert into a garden. There will be a tremendous development in that part of tho country in time to come. It is a strange thing that some of the dairy farmers are actually going from Auckland to Central Otago to look for land. Borne have already settled there. We are cultivating new lands

at the present time, land that has been dug over and is full of what we call potholes, and which was most cl fficult to cultivate. It has been laid down in grass and is doing splendidly, and in a few weeks it will be advertised when settlers will be asked to . take up sections. I have been told that that land will go oft like hot cakes. It is at a place called Swanson. “We have also been doing oar best in the way of cutting up runs, but I am not sure that in the past that has not been overdone. I have reports which are very discouraging, showing that some of the subclivis:on areas are far too small, with the result that rhe tenants are encountering all sorts of difficulties That is a matter that will have to be dealt with. It is. however, complicated by the fact that a number ot these runs .are education reserves or endowments belonging to the Otago X mversity, although they are administered by the Lands Department of the Stats on behalf of the University. In consequence of that it is not nearly so easy to settle the difficulties as would otherwise be the case. We. have had two or three deputations here, and I must confess that I felt sorrv for those settlers, and I am resolved as far as possible to do what, we can for !hem, and in (bat, direction some legislation will probably be brought down before tho close of the present session.”