LANDS FOR SETTLEMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 21 November 1930, Page 9

LANDS FOR SETTLEMENT

PURCHASE BY GOVERNMENT WAIPUKURAU AREA ACQUIRED. ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT, By Telegraph.—-Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Purchase by the Government of a portion of Mr. John MacLennaij’s “Rylands” property, two and a-half miles from Waipukurau, was announced by the Minister of Agriculture to-day on behalf of the Minister of Lands. An area of 1244 acres was acquired under the Land for Settlements Act and it is the Government’s intention to carry out closer settlement upon it as soon as possible. No statement was made concerning the price. Comprising good flats and slightly rolling country the area is all ploughable. It is served by a good metal road and is suitable for subdivision into four farms, The Minister said the survey of the block would be proceeded with at an early date and it was expected that the, subdivisions would be offered for selection by ballot in February. Completion of this purchase brings the total area purchased by the present Government for closer settlement since it assumed office to 65,894 acres at a cost of about £670,000, Up to last September a total of 182 new settlers had been placed on the land. The Lands Department has recently been engaged in putting into effect the scheme for the extension of group settle-, ment whose authorisation was contained in this year’s Act. Suitable areas for the prosecution of this work are being investigated. The Cabinet recently authorised .£34,000 for developmental work on several large blocks of Crown land upon which settlers are to be placed, or on which they are already installed.