UREWERA COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2751, 20 April 1916, Page 6

UREWERA COUNTRY

SETTLEMENT SCHEME

DIFFICULTIES IN THE WAY

The problem of the settlement of the TJrewera Country has had the attention for some time of' tho Native Minister (the Hon. W. H. Heiries). 'Hie question is of the greatest importance, because in a measurable period the East: Coast railway will be built through some of the blocks, 'and it is the policy of the Government to secure for the State the enhancement of value created by the State expenditure. Mr. Herries made, a statement on the subject to a reporter yesterday.

"Dr. Pomaro and I," said Mr. Herrien, "received an invitation from tho leading chiefs of tho TJrewera to bo present at a big meeting which was to be held on the occasion of the opening of a meeting-house at Ruatoki, about twenty niiles inland from Whakaof Plenty. We attended the meeting on Friday last, and, of course, the question of the late disturbance in the TJrewera Country cropped up. "With regard to the land, it had been stated, so I understood, that tho Government proposed to punish tho TJrewera people by confiscating portions of their land. I told the Natives that the Government had no such intention, but there must be a great effort made to. settle the TJrewera Country with | pakeha and Maori settlers, so that it I would bo impossible in the future for a man like Rua. to gain any following and be ablo to resist the police. I asked those present to assist me/as far as possible in getting the land settled by selling to the "Government their surplus lands. The Government had been able up to the- 'present to purchase considerable interests in the Urmvera Country, and I looked for their assistance to enable mo to purchase sufficient to shortly open up some of the blocks in which interests have already been purchased. I also pointed out the advantages that would fall to them by. the opening up of the land, in the shape of roads and schools and possibly railways. Considerable progress has been made already in purchasing interests in tho TJrewera blocks—over 120,000 interests, representing approximately an acre each, having been purchased up 'to the present. In tho block, for instance, m which Rua's kainga was situated, Mangapohatu block, nearly half the interests have been acquired, but not sufficient has yet been acquired in any single block, or groups of blocks, to make it'worth while going to the expense of roading and surveying for settlement. It is anticipated, however, that in . another year's time this will 1)6 done at the present rate of progress in purchasing. "One difficulty in the settlement of the TJrewera Country is the question of survey, as the land has never been properly surveyed, and the boundaries of theulifferent blocks have only been determined by a prismatic survey. Before tho la'nd is opened for settlement a' reading scheme will have to be prepared and a thorough survey made of the whole district. For a long time after the first purchasing was started,, purchases had to be suspended on account of appeals on the question of the titles to the various blocks. These were finally settled in 1914, and. tho titles are now definitely settled. Purchase commenced then, and has been carried on by Mr. Bowler, Native Land Purchase Officer, with considerable success. Mr. Bowler will visit the district again in a short time, and I am satisfied will be able to make further large purchases from wlint I heard from the Natives at Ruatoki.

"Tho total area of Native land in the Dominion purchased during the year ending March 31, 1916, has been 153,270 acres, which is a big advance on the amount acquired" last' rear— 96,256 acres."