MINISTER OF LANDS

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1607, 14 February 1925, Page 5

MINISTER OF LANDS

OTOROHANGA DISTRICT DEPUTATIONS.

(From our Otorohanga Representative) The Hon A. D. McLeod made a flying visit here a few days ago and was met by Messrs F. Potts, chairman of the Otorohanga County Council and F. Phillips, chairman of the Town Board. Several matters of public importance were brought under the* Minister’s notice, Mr Phillips pointing out the position of the County -Council in regard to wire netting supplied to farmers on the instalment plan. He thought the County should be placed in the same position regarding repayment, as if the money was owing for rates and that the money advanced for rabbit netting loans should be secured on rates attached to the land. Mr McLeod thought the only way to get over the difficulty was to secure the rates on the title in some way. There might be’ special rating areas or the mortgagees’ consent obtained for the liability being attached to the land. Mr Potts asked that the forest reserve on the Honikiwi road be vested in the County Council for tree planting. The Minister pointed out the stringency of the laws governing scenic reserves which did not produce any revenue. If an area was cut off a scenic reserve it could be used but if it was planted timber could not be taken from it. There were many scenic, reserves going back to noxious weeds but his policy was to utilise them as far as possible. To the request made by Mr Phillips for a subsidy for the Mangawhero Drainage Board, Mr McLeod said he could not anticipate the Public Works estimates and could do nothing until then. * The President of the Otorohanga Chamber of Commerce, Mr E. J. Closey, referring to vacant Crown sections and the difficulties in regard to private Native leases, said the Native township had greatly benefited by the Act enabling the purchase of the free hold. He thought that if country lands could be dealt with similarly it would be advantageous besides checking the spread of noxious weeds. Mr McLeod said he had been interested in seeing the lands of the Otorohahga district and learning of the existing difficulties. His department did no purchasing of Native lands, but they had tried to get authority for the Lands Department to deal direct. From his knowledge of the King Country he •was satisfied that it had to be settled on a freehold tenure at a low valuation. In the backblocks he thought 5s an acre was sufficient for fern country. The cost of development of both fern and bush country was too great to farmers who paid from £2 to £5 an acre. Such purchasers must lose money. , „ . Mr A K. Maynard, one of the Taihaia soldier settlers, expressed his thanks and those of his fellow settlers for the revaluation made by the Government. He hoped the Minister would assist them in getting a loan of £2500 for draining. In his own case he had dug drains which were now overgrown with weeds and twenty acres of his land was flooded.

Mr McLeod thought the case was one for the Advances Department to deal with .'He was in favour of granting of loans to local bodies in country districts though he thought there was too much borrowing by local bodies in the larger centres. . The Minister and party, which . included Mr J. C. Rolleston, M.P., and Judge McCormick, after being entertained by Mrs F. Phillips with dejeuner, left for Te Kuiti by car about 11 o’clock.