LAND FOR SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2810, 30 June 1916, Page 8

LAND FOR SOLDIERS

FIVE SECTIONS BALLOTS HELD YESTERDAY At the Wellington* Land Board Office yesterday, five sections of rural land wero ballotted for by returned soldiers. _- The sections arc in Southern Wairarapa., and the following is an official description of them:—"The land lies on the west bank of the Wainuioru River, from twenty-one to twenty-three miles south of Masterton. It is approached from there or from Carterton, via Gladstone, both of which towns ave the same distance away—fifteen miles by metalled dray road, four miles by formed drayroad, and the remainder a surveyed road which is to be formed. The formation will be continued through to give access to all the sections. The block is good sheep and cattle country. It was in former yeans under forest, but is now in good pasture, having been grazed in eonjunction with tire Admiral Station for the last fifteen years by Messrs. Pain and Sutherland. The altitude varies from 270 ft. to IGOOft. above sea-level." Altogether there wove forty-seven applicants for land, and this meant .about thirty applicants for every saction. The successful applicants were:—

Section 1, Block 5, .TO ncres, E. B. EHott. Roi'gol-nkako. Fcetion 2, Block 5, 316 acres, A. C. Scith. Riddif"rd Street. Wellington. Section 1, Block 9, 181 acres, F. W. JoMin. Little. River. Section 2, Block 9, 39,"i acres, Haroid H. S-'ith. Pi^iafua. Section 3, Bloelc 9, m acres, James Barnard, Palmerston North.

After the ballot Mr. G. H. M. M'Cluro, Commissioner of Crown Lands, congratulated the successful soldiers, and said he was sorry there was not land for all. However, the Minister of Lands (the Right Hon. W. F. Mnssey) ivas trying to get land. J-Io mentioned that a block of 20,000 acres of bush land near the Wanganui River was being made available. It was tough land, without roods, but. roads would' be made. ' It wa.s good grazing land, of papa formation, and two returned soldiers were already on portion of it.