Land Settlement.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXIII, Issue 4229, 18 July 1901, Page 2

Land Settlement.

The Milbourne and Abbotsford Estates. (Own Correspondent.) [By Telegraph.] Wellington, This day. In the House, in reply to the question put by Mr Charles Hall, member for Waipawa, the Premier stated that the Milbourne and Abbotsford estates would be in the hands of the Government today. In putting the question Mr Hall said he hoped the Premier would reply to it in a straightforward manner. His reason for moving in the matter was because several petitions had been presented by Waipawa settlers, urging that some large estates in the locality should be acquired for settlement, but nothing had yet been done. He was aware that during the last few months several estates in the district had been inspected, and he believed the reports on them were in the hands of the Government. He now wished to know whether the Government intended to give effect to the recommendations of these reports.

The Premier, in replying, said he had received a very great shock in being asked to reply to a question straightforwardly, which implied that he did not always do so. The fact that such a request came from his honourable friend, Mr Hall, made him feel it all the more acutely. He now wished to state that a large block of land of 37,000 acres, comprising the Milbourne and Abbotsford estates, would be in the hands of the Government to-day, and would be thrown open for settlement. The land referred to stretched between the townships of Waipawa and Hampden. If that was not a straightforward answer, he did not know what t was.