SOLDIER SETTLERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 97, 10 August 1943, Page 5

SOLDIER SETTLERS

POSSIBILITIES ON RANGIfTAIKI

STATEMENT IN PARLIAMENT

Reference to soldier settlement in. this district was made by Mr W. Sullivan, M.P. for Bay of Plenty, wlicn speaking in the House of Representatives last Aveek. Mr Sullivan agreed that it AAould he inadvisable to .buy land for soldier settlement purposes in the back country AA'herc there Avere 110 means of ac- - cess, especially in A r ie\v of the fact . that there Avas an abundance of laud already roaded available. For instance, in the ( Bay of Plenty there Avas good land and a good climate.' In one locality there Avere two dairy factories Avhose output had fallen away lately,,, but there Avas chear> land in the vicinity which he thought' suitable for settlement,,' and if the land Avere purchased and the right type of settler put, on it, it wbuhl . not only assist the settlers themselves but also the dairy factories. He kneAv of one farmer in the district running one coav to 1-3/4 acres, and his average for the season pe-ir cow Avas :5001bs of buttcrl'at. Therewere areas which could be siibdiA'ided into blocks of between 1000 and . 1200 acres. In reply to a question by the Minister of Marketing aft to whetherthe land Avould be suitable for re-r turned servicemen, Mr Sullivan said settlers in the district said it was, and. he suggested that the Minister visit the district. There were certainly areas on the Rangitaiki Plains well drained and roaded, where; hey thought settlers'wofrkl do Avell. .Oner point! he avoulcl make to the Minister w r as that he should make use of the. district rehabilitation committees, the members of which were eminently suited to make sugges- v tions and recommendations to suitable available 'land. Speaking on, the Lands and SurEstimates, Mr Sullivan said . that a considerable amount of moneyhad been spent in remoAtfng||willows, that congested the Rang|taiki river bed,, and that a stopbank had also, been put up,.* but? unfortunately there. were some gaps in the bank, which, if not filled, ~ Avould prove a serious menace to the suppliers of the dairy factory. He hoped that the Department Avould get the Avorlc completed speedily. . ~ ,