LAND FOR THE RETRENCHED.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 574, 31 July 1909, Page 14

LAND FOR THE RETRENCHED.

: ,BETWEEN KAKAHI AND RAURIMU. . • \ On Thursday, the commissioner (Mr. Maokenzie) ' 'laid bofore the: Wellington. Land Board a pro.vi!sibnal scheme for ;the 'subdivision ;;bf: Crown lands .'along''the 'North' 'Island''-Main-; : Tr.unk 'Railway line, from ICakahi, to Ralurimu "-Town-, ship into - about! rlOO'.6eotion6 ; ringing in i area jfrora 100. to 20 acres,- to be, thrown ogen* for selection; by -unemployed ; railway.' workers' 5 and \retired Civil . Servants;: on.. improved . farm .con.ditions. J .... .. V., This.Vland;»said Ithe commissioner, was. pro-' posed. io" be givin. to ,railway workers . out. , of employment and .retrenched' Civil. Servants.' At :least they , i; be given! ;.the bpti'on. of, . would-'tafiei/it'.'up—if - they did nbt 'sbnieonb 'else ■ would; ; .:butVthese people were )■ to:bs,'given, first; choi.ce. -; .The.vscheme -.may: not .ccme^te''any;thing,;.,at.:least'.<.some; of ' the-land; may not .be taken 'up:' Many, of "them'iinight, thipk:|it',was f tob, muon-. outvof.. the-worldV ; buti,it .'gives', thein,. 'a' chance, \to ' get .on ■ the * land'. . ;It .-;.)vas' some) ;of thei.best'land'.about, 'the"Government': were-prepared to advance : .up: to .£$ per aero for falling, and grassin'g : .th«: sefetions, and £100 for a house. There ,were'; about, 15,000 .acres iji} the 'block. 'ivTho ,balance ! lwas; undulating . and..hilly ..country; with of rtnigh .Jand., The- mills' had,, beenj'through the. greater, part.'.of ..the 'flat,-.'.but there : -;-was: still plenty, .or; timber-T-rimuj';matai, and; aifpropor-: tion.i,bf.,tbtara,ithe falling of ■ which {-Would be governed. by'.regulationfe.. ... Jhe soil! generally I was' of" sandstone 'formation. There was, a little papa, but'.-it .'was'mostly sandy loam. Pumice-had been,-.scattered, over the block at some remote period, but it had mostly washed down fromrthe hills -' to the flat.-.' The hills would carry good grass, it would ;be found, to be- a. good fruit-growing- county, ■ and would be dealt.,with' as .first-class'land. The access.-to •the land was perfect,as the railway line - traversed the' block';, so 'that there;was nothing of •the backblocks about these sections, i There would not bp any necessity,' for muddy.., roads;, 'as, the pumice •mkdei'splendjd,' blinding".'' "■.-', , ; The board passe'd: the sclieme without .discussion.;, i; ' ' 5 V.-:; -'j;' . At'the conclusion of the meeting the.com- . m issioner ,i nf ormed, ,a. DqaiNipfc,. reporter ..that, "this scheme was only-the preliminary stage. Having, passed" the ' board,' the' scheme "would: Inow- go., j forward:-to .'the .Minister -and Cabinet' for approval,; after which regulations would be framed 'governing .. the settlement. /Though nothing• could bo stated definitely as to .the. tenure, /, it, vwas-pretty; safe, to ;say, /.that :the 'sections';would be 'balloted -for, and:, that the ■ leasehold; v tenure-would' -include- an option; toI .purchase ;tbe-freehold.;;,;, ;-. ■ : ih' ' j