UREWERA COUNTY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 904, 25 August 1910, Page 2

UREWERA COUNTY.

. . .—: 4 __-, ■ ■ ;. PROPOSED STATE PURCHASES... • Some interesting particulars'.'of thenreaiof:land whicli, as indicated in the House by tho Hon.'A. T. Ngate, the, Government proposes to •'open' in the Urewera.'Couutry, were furnished to'a Dominion representative last night by Mr. W. D. 0. Macdonald, member for Bay of Plenty, which includes the Urewera Country. ~■.-• The Government , have agreed, Mr. Macdonald stated, .to /purchase. 1 ninety thousand acres of the block lying along .the Waimana Valley, towards Mangapouhata (where tho "Prophet" ' Rua has his temple). It was expected that tho transaction would'be completed by the middle of September. Mr. Macdonald said he had seen Mr.. Wilson, the' Government surveyor, who had been through the whole of the country, n'ith a view, of making a valuation lor tho Government, and ho learned from him that the land was splendid pastoral country, easy, low-lying hills, and a .good deal of the frontage would eventually come in for dairying. Hβ thought tho land would bo cut up into suitable areas, and ballotted for on the optional tenure, while the poor portions) of the block would probably be cut up and leased as small grazing runs. yinco the Government decided to complete the purchase of this block, several. ■ other blocks ~, abovo . Euatoln (Rua's stronghold), and on the. fringe of the IJrewera Country, had been offered to it.' /These blocks-aggregated-probably about twenty to thirty thou- • sand acres, and negotiations a.re'now proceeding for their purchase. In addition, there is a considerable: area of Crown land on the eastern side of the Ureirora Country, and sov-. eral blocks on the western side whicli i it is intended to prepare for settlement during the coming' summer. '