NORTHERN PUMICE LANDS

Waikato Times, Volume 90, Issue 14025, 31 March 1919, Page 6

NORTHERN PUMICE LANDS

HON D. H. GUTHRIE’S CONCLUSIONS. W R ONG LY CONDEYINED. An important statement in regard to the development of pumice lands has bc- n made bv the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, .Minister for" Lauds. He said that ho had recently inspected the pumice lands in the centre of the North Island, with a view to considering their suitability for settlement by solders or other settlers. The pumice lands had been wrongly condemned, because they were" not understood. Th re were great possibilities in the lands, but they required time, expert knowledge, and’ capital to bring them into production. and for that reason he did not think it feasible lo place soldiers on the undeveloped land in small holdings. The Government could not simply place the soldiers on the land and then consider the matter ended, fur it had the greater responsibility to see that they were of a class, and with the means, to make a success of their venture. Therefore, it might be much easier to settle soldiers without much capital on land in other parts of New Zealand, which could more quickly lie brought into a state ot production, and without the same capital expenditure. He had told a deputation at Rotorua that he would be prepared, if Cabinet approved, to place 100 returned soldiers on a Government block of 12,000 acres of pumice lands to work on wages, under skilled supervision, in bringing the land into production. When they had received training on the land, and when it was sufficiently developed, they would be given the option of taking up sections on any of the Government tenures they might choose. He was not prepared to recommend tb<* Government lo buy other lands on which to make this experiment, when it had thousands of acres of the same class of country in its possession already awaiting development.

PURCHASE OP REPAROA BLOCK. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie stales that Cabinet has approved the purchase of 13.000 acres of land, known as Rcparoa Block, which will be available for settlement by soldiers. The block is situated 23 miles from Rotorua, and suitable for dairy farming. The Minister said the acquisition of tills land is the first important step towards opening up the vast tracts in the interior of the North Island. The bulk ot the block is rich swamp land. The Reparoa Block is the property of Messrs Stead and AA’att, and is the northern portion .of the area of 102.000 acres in the AALiiotapu Valley, recently offered to the Government at nn average price just, under £2 an acre.