LAND IN THE NORTH

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 166, 3 April 1918, Page 8

LAND IN THE NORTH

SETTLEMENT POSSIBILITIES VIEWS OF HON, G. W. RUSSELL The opportunity recently presented itself to the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. G._AV. Russell) to pay a long-desired visit to the north of Auckland. Mr. Russell was especially dosirous of seeing this country, having heard varied accounts of its capacity for settlement. Starting from Whaiigarei, ho 1 visited Russell, Kerikeri, Whangaroa, Kawakawa, Mangonui, Kaitaia, Kohukohu, liawens. Horeke, aud Kaikohe. He came back through Whangarei to 'Dargaville, iand. down tho northern Wania River, so that ho had a complete inspection of what is known as tho "roadless north." "Here and there in my travels," said Mr. Russell, in describing his visit yesterday, "I came across fine pastoral districts, such as Oruru Valley, Broadwood, and other places away from immediate settlement. I also saw very largo tracts of country lying waste and unoccupied. Some of these I was informed represented Maori country, which is lying idle. Other portions wero unsettled Government land. "In my opinion, large areas of tho country 1 passed over will have to bo 'broken in' on tho samo lines as were adopted by tho Canterbury squatters in the early days. A large portion of tho north of Auckland is in tho position Canterbury was fifty or sixty years ago. It is impossible at the present time, with tho absence of roads and railways, to expect immediate small settlement. On the other hand there may be men courageous enough and possessed of sufficient capital to take lip large holdings upon strictly laiddown conditions with regard to break-ing-in the country, and thus prepare the way for future settlement of a smaller class. Our experience in Canterbury was: First the. squatter, then the sheep-farmer, and finally the agriculturist. No doubt after this will como tho dairyman and .the small farmer. Two necessities struck mo as being .particularly desirable: (1) Tho establishment ot experimental grass plots—not by any means expensive— where both natural' and imported grasses can bo tested; (2) tho cultivation of State forests, say, over twenty miles from which tho settleii of, tho future will be able to draw building and fencing timber, and also fuel for their homes. Land that was despised a few years ago in the north is now to be regarded as of considerable value when properly treated, and no doubt largo areas which I saw lying waste will como under this category as settlement proceeds northward. That there is a great future for this part of Now_ Zealand in the absorption of population goes without saying. Tho climate is genial, there appoars to bo a fair rainfall, and given scientific treatment of the land, together with the necossnry roads and railways for the purposo of giving access to tho many and tino seaports which are found upoil both coasts, there is no reason why this part of New Zealand should not take a most promising position in the future settlement of tW Dominion."