"ABSENTEE" SECTIONS

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1928, 30 October 1926, Page 4

"ABSENTEE" SECTIONS

THE POSITION AT PIRONGIA. ? i • . ■. * • ■ ■i* : . ' Some months ago an effort was made by Pirongia settlers and the \Vaipa County Council to reach finality in tlie matter' of the many “absentee” 'sections in and around Pirongia township—sections to which owners have not been found, and many of them therefore unproductive to the local body in the way of rates. It will be recalled that at the instance of the County' Council the Valuation Department sent , officers to Pirongia to survey the locality and prepare a list of absentee sections. As an outcome of this, we understand, the i County Council was invited to pay the cost of survey and transfer fees, etc., !so that the sections to which no owners could be found could be legally transferred to the local authority for re-sale. But the County Council apparently demurs on the score of expense, for an outlay of £2OO to £3of has been mentioned as the sum necessary in this connection. The local committee has not been idle in the matter, realising that identification and. individualisation of titles in respect to the sections is necessary to ensure that they will be occupied, and, incidentally, be cleared of noxi-ous-weeds and ratable.- : .To further the project a meeting was-held- at Pirongia last evening, when Crs. S-. C. Macky and J. T. Johnson (Waip'a County Council representatives for Mangapiko Riding), were present by invitation.' It was stated that the 'Minister J, f6r Lands (Hon. A. - D. r McLeod) would shortly be visiting 'the Waikato add King Country, and it was desired that he . should make a personal visit to Pirongia and thus become fully acquainted with the position. This course found favour, and an invitation is to be extended to the Minister, acceptance of which would enable the Whole position to be laid before him.