LAND SETTLEMENT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17126, 5 December 1929, Page 10

LAND SETTLEMENT

THE GALATEA AREA SIR A. T. NGATA IMPRESSED Advantage was taken of tho presence in Wliakatane last week of Sir Apirana. Ngata, to endeavor to enlist his support for the completion by the Government of tile. To Teko-W'aiohou road. .Mr. Walter Reid, county chairman, explained that about £IO,OOO had been spent in road formation, and' the expenditure of another £4OOO would complete the road to Waiohou. lie said the council raised a loan of £5500 over the Galatea area for tlit* purpose, and that they had received a- £l for £1 subsidy, l.ater a free grant of £2200 had been given, but the money had been spent and the workmen had gone oil' the contract. The Government was now prepared to .subsidise the cost of completing the work £2 for £l, but the ratepayers concerned were already loaded to the limit and the council had no means of finding the required amount of money to take up the subsidy. Sir Apirana. Ngata, in reply, said ho was pleased the matter of completing a. road to Galatea had been brought before him. Last year half the Cabinet Ministers had spent- a lot of time ex pluring the pumice laud with a view to their settlement. He had gone there and found his way to Muripnra, and had formed the opinion that the best land was there—in the Rangitaiki valley. The outlet for all that country was down The Rangitaiki to the East Coast railway. It was not practical to take the produce out the other way on account of the steep grades. Thcro was a lot of land there suitable for settlement and lie would advise tho deputation to associate land settlement with their agitation for the Galatea road. The Government was prepared to take land for settlement purposes and' there were greater possibilities in the Rangitaiki valley than in the socalled pumice lands area. He. would bring the matter before the Minister, particularly the question of land set-. Demerit in that locality. He considered two estates t hero were suitable for closer settlement, while there was a large area of Crown and native land that would be served by the proposed road. Cr. P. Baird said that approximately £IO,OOO was being hung up for the want of a further expenditure ol £4OOO. Sir Apirana. Ngata replied that it was possible the Government could put relief workers on to complete tiie road. Mr. C. E. Macmillan. M.P.. said he had advocated the development of lands along the East Coast railway to help to make the line pay. Ife had also taken up the question of the Galatea road on behalf of the Wliakatane County Council and the Chamber of Commerce. There were thousands of acres of land along the coast which only required reading to fit it for settlement. He was pleased to hear the Minister’s views on the matter coincided with those of the people of t-l» district.—Press.