THE PUMICE LANDS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 138, 6 March 1919, Page 4

THE PUMICE LANDS

■ VIEWS OF HON. A. M. MYERS. Tho Hon. A. M. Myers last week made a special journey from Putaruru to rTaupo'with a view... of examining the pumice land country, that, is traversed by the Taupo-Totara Timber Company's railway. , .Discussing "his trip yesterday, and the things he had seen, the Minister said that ho did not by any means profess to liavo an export knowledge of land, but from what, he .had seen of the land under cultivation lie had no hesitation, in saying that tho .experimental stage in the treatment of those lands had been passed; and that the. settlers had reached the stage of achievement.'. 'The .erection of a .cheese .factory .near, the railway lino through the .centre of the. district between Putaruru and Molcai; the establishment of fixed stock sales.at Ngongotaha, and.tho opening of the Rotorua co-opera-tive"'dairy' factory constituted sufficient evidence as to the future prosperity of the agricultural-.-and pastoral interests on the-Rotorua side of the. pumice land. "As'there aro large areas of Crown and Native land lying idle in this istrict," said Mr. Myers, "i feel assured that there is a. big. future for this, territory if the land is taken up by experienced men prepared to spend money in tho treatment .of the land, for it will bo necessary for settlers going oil-to these lands to do this before' they' can hope to make profit; Meanwhile the Minister of Lands (Mr. Guthrie) is leaving on Friday on a tour of inspection of this country, and the result of his investigations will decide what action the Government will determine in ; regard to all these pumice lands." ' ' . '