LAND SETTLEMENT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17133, 8 September 1926, Page 7

LAND SETTLEMENT

PURCHASE OP TE WERA

JUSTIFIED BY MINISTER

(Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this dav

Criticism of the Government's purchase of a block of land in the Oisborno, district at a cost of Ho*«"i,000, where it cost £IO,OOO to settle each farmer taking up subdivisions, was made in the House by Mr. .1. C. Rolleston, who thought the Government would have done far better had it spent half that amount. The Minister of Lands, the Hon. A. 1). MeLeod, replying, said (lie purchase of this block had been made the subject of copious leading articles in a section of the Xew Zealand press with a view to showing how utterly useless the Land Department was, and much was made of the fact that this block would cut up into only live farms. The action of the Department in this connection had been characterised as due io crass ignorance.

However, said Mr. McLeod, he want ed to explain the position.

Mr. P. Fraser: You still stick to the statement which vou made?

Mr. McLeod. Yes, the statement I made to the press. Continuing, he said there were 0900 acres in the properly, which was at present shecpiarniing country, but he believed that eventually it would cut no into 15 or 16 farms since considerable portions could be used for dairy farming. The property would remain in the hands of the present owners till after shearing, but there was no doubt that it could be used for dairying quite successfully. rind he would not be surprised if I'll or more settlers were placed on the block. MORE REASONABLE FIGURES OTHER PROPERTIES OFFERED (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The offers received for the sale of land to the Crown, under the Land for Settlements Act, last vear indicate

• Hat the owners of large properties suitable for subdivision are now willing to offer their, at a more reasonable figure, and. since the close of the liunneial year three elates totalling 14,252 acres have been purchased, while negotiations in respect to two other properties, approximating 20,000 ii«rt!S, have reached a stage that gives v. reasonable prospect of successful negotiation, slates the report of the Laud Purchase Board.

During the year considerable areas of. second and third class lands, mostly in localities difficult of access, have been also placed under offer to the Crown, but the board has not been able to recommend the purchase for the leason that it is of opinion that they are entirely unsuited for closer settlement, being only suitable for holding in comparatively huge areas by those having capital available to work them. It is considered that in purely sheep grazing land of low grade fattening ••apaeily a minimum of from Willi to 1500 acres is required to •i>suiv n reasonable living for :i family, for ihe reason that with such laud there is a Mrong tendency towards reversion to nmnuit.'i and native grass".- every feu vears, although for many years such lauds have- beer, sin s-t'ully fnlined by capable men in area:, of L'luO :■( res and upwards. Itcecat investigations under Ihe discharged soldiers' revaluation se.lienu have gone to show thai Ibis type of h.nd cnniiot be settled successfully in

si,all areas unless it is in chisc proximity to good transpditation facilities which will permit ol '••'''' " >t ' nf lime and other lop-dressing mixtures at the lowest possible price.