SUNDAY ISLAND

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 134, 8 June 1937, Page 8

SUNDAY ISLAND

SETTLEMENT SCHEME REPLY TO MINISTER’S STATEMENT (Per Press Association;. AUCKLAND, June 7. Exception to the advice ottered by the Minister of Lands, Hon. F. Landstone, discouraging any persons from investing in the scheme for settlement oi Sunday Island, was taken by Mr A. L. Denniston, of Aucklanu, honorary secietary of the Kermadec Development Syndicate. He criticised Mr Langstone xor making a statement beiore ne had invited lull particulars from those responsible lor the scheme and said the Minister’s facts were far from correct.

"In the first place,” said Mr Denniston," the sum of 140 is not only for the purchase of land and a iree passage to the island for every settler, out there will also tie a very large sum which will be used for installing a water supply, generating electricity, building a small hospital with all medical stores (a qualified surgical nurse and dentist are accompanying the settlers;, a small schoolroom (since a retired schoolmaster is to be a settler; a community store and wireless outfit capable of sending and receiving. This is quite apart, too, from the more than probable fact that PanAmerican Airways will be installing a meteorological station on the island.

“If an epidemic broke out a wireless message to me in Auckland would very soon have a doctor on a boat off to treat the settlers, with an drugs and other necessities, 'iliis would not be at the expense of the New Zealand Government. Indeed, one distinct and often expressed hope has been that the Government will not unnecessarily interfere with the settlers, who have sufficient money to carry on without such help. "With regard to communication with the island, the committee in charge has tentatively arranged for a permanent charter of a large auxiliary schooner which will make regular trips and which, by means of overhead gear, can be loaded and unloaded in all weathers when required. This disposes of the bugbear connected with the landing facilities. “The Minister states that presumably those concerned will arrange for the necessary survey. Is it at all likely that such an important matter should have been overlooked? He need not have presumed; he could have ascertained this ana otner facts by the simple process of making inquiries. For Mr Langstone's edification I may state that a licensed, duly qualified and registered surveyor will sub-divide the block as soon as the committee require it. Furthermore, the land is already under the Land Transfer Act, whicn will give to each settler a New Zealand Government guaranteed title to ownership. It may also be of interest to the public to know,” said Mr Denniston, "that fruits and other produce can be placed on the New Zealand market in their respective seasons earlier than any other country supplying New Zealand. In addition, oranges, lemons, grape fruit, passion fruit, paw paws, rockmelons, tarw, kumeras, hops and so on will be in supply when the local markets are bare, and as the freight will be less than it will be from the islands farther away so, therefore, will the cost to the consumer be less.

"It would be interesting to know who gave this unsatisfactory information to the Minister. I suspect that it came from someone whom we considered would be an unsatisfactory settler, and I have had a great many such, or from one who knew the island before the days when electricity, machinery and up-to-date science were used commercially. I repeat that the Minister made a grave blunder when he did not deem it necessary or worth while to ascertain these and many other facts before making the critical statement which, as it stands, is such a misleading warning.”