CIVIL SERVANTS AND THE LAND

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 626, 1 October 1909, Page 4

CIVIL SERVANTS AND THE LAND

MANY APPLICATIONS. :. "When it-:was first mooted that tho. Govern-, ment intended to throw:open a largo block of 'land for closor settlement, giving.- the 'first-' option to retrenched Civil- Servants/ discharged railway servants, and the. deserving needy without much , capital, .the doubt, was expressed as to whether such men:,would feel inclined to ;avail . themselves., of the opportunity to carvo ■out a .home in' what 'is .practically primitive :co u ntry.':,lt was .argued .that the .training of ,Uvil Servants peculiarly, unfitted a niari for .roughing.it in';th'e country, however willing he ■might-be to turn' his hand from the pen to .the plough. : It. is, thoreforo, encouraging to learn from •the Commissioner Of, Crown Jjands- for tho Wellington, district, at yesterdays meeting of 'tho iWellington .-Land Board, :■ that between 400 and--800/applications ,had. been received-, for .the hundred and odd sections into which the block 13-divided. ; The: laiid consists of! 15;000 acres of; undulating' and ■ hilly country situated be- . tweon-Baurimu and Piriaka,' on tho -Main-Trunk-lino, land which lies between the railway line.arid the head waters of the -Wanganui Eiver. The commissioner, in malting .the .annouriceriient," stated that preference was to married men, and as a good '.many applicants were: single, a. giod .bit of 'weeding out. would .havo to be' done. He stated that strong -powers had been reserved in regard to. tho conservation of the milling timber on the block; of which there was a fair quantity (consisting of rimu, matai, and 'a little totara).;. There was already a State mill; on the block, but doubtless the rest of the timber would be milled for the' beriefit of the • settlers- and : the ; royalty it: would bring. : It was announced that the applications would close on October 19. on which date' a special meeting of the Land Board would be.,-hold:'-The ballot for the Sections is to .take place on [ x October 29.: i--i ' r ■■:• •