THE KAITIEKE BLOCK.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1059, 23 February 1911, Page 2

THE KAITIEKE BLOCK.

Sif,—lii reference to the report of the Land Board's condomuation' 9t the whole of tho Kaitieko and Retaruko Blocks, I desiro to point out a slight but very important error in the wording of tho Land Hoard's report: that is, they omitted to raako a distinction between tho two, namely, tho Kaitieko Block and tho Lower Retaruko Block. The error or omission I-consider was ft mere • oversight on the part of the members of the Land Board. Is it feasiblo that tho members of tho Land Board would wilfully and knowingly condemn all thoso settlers' -holdings on tho Upper Retaruko and Ivaitieko Blocks, who are not complaining, and are perfectly satisfied with the growing qualities nnd carrying capac? itv of their holdings? I certainty" agree with the board in respect to giving some consideration, to those Lower Rotaruke settlers who are . complaining, as I consider there is. almost as great a contrast between the Kaitieke-Upper Retaruko Blocks conjointly and'tho Lower Retaruko Block as- there is between chalk nnd chceso. But lam of the firm belief that those Lower Rotaruke sotlers ivill receivo very satisfactory results when the second firo sweeps over their .old fellings and charring*, which is best to happen when tho fellings are from five to six years old, in places where pukriu is plentiful and the timber is light and thin, not sufficient to carry a second fire. I should suggest heavily stocking with cattle, which will tramp it out of existonce. I also consider that their holdings, like all other Crown lands, now are far too highly valued for rent nui'poses. i also consider in tho interest of the farming community and for tho prosperity pf the country, that every pioneer settler's holding should come under the Bush and Swams Act, thus encouraging and enabl<

•ing the poor man to a great extent to become prosperous nnd get his holding into a state of production more rapidly, which is necessary for the prosperity ot the country, -and to the interests ot the Government. Prosperity in: the farming community spells a prosperous country. A prosperous country is made up of many things, which the settled land is responsible for, such as products, revenue, exports, etc. The bush pioneer settler has some very hard and trying times, as it is a matter of courso for a second firo to s\\ecp over his felled and grassed land-at a dry spell, thns compelling him to further expenditure of rosowing his- laud, and perhaps nlso lie has the misfortune to lose all his stock; if not he is compelled to saerilicc thcui for wait he can get. Certainly the price of stock would be down ou account of tlio dry spell, and then ho has to buy stock at a much higher price when the dry spell is over, and his newly-sown grass is ready for stocking again. I also desire to express my regret that some more canable person with the pen than I am did not undertake to, vigorously protect a worthy portion, namely, Ivaiticke arid Upper Retaruke Blocks.—l am, etc., . ■ ; PIONEER SETTLER OF THE KAITIEKE. > P.S.—I have six years' experience in this particular block and its surroundings, and ain also occupier of two-sheep-to-the-acro country, and satisfied. Sir,—ln your, issue of February 4 the Wellington Land Board's report •of the Kaitielie Block is very misleading. They state that all of the settlers Are deceived in the land; also that' it has been valued 50 per cent, too high, and will only carry one and a quarter sheep to the acre. Now, sir, 1 give this a straight-out denial, as all the land taken up in the Kaitieka some six years ago will carry from two to three sheep to the acre. Now, a great injustico has been done to the early settlers of the Kaitieko Block by the Land Board s report in many ways. First for financing; secondly, they have brought the value .of our land down from onO to two pounds per acre, and would like. to know what obiect they had in view for doing si> for during the members of the Land Board's visit to Kaitieke Block they paid all the early settlirs -a visit, an<l were very pleased with the land, l was in hopes some abler pen than mine woulu have taken this up.—l am, etc., EARLY SETTLER, ;