The Chronicle LEVIN. TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1917. CLOSER SETTLEMENT FOR LEVIN.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 9 January 1917, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN. TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1917. CLOSER SETTLEMENT FOR LEVIN.

A few day.s ago The Chronicle wrote of the advisablciness of speeding-up tho local efforts to have the lands on the seaward side oi' the Hurowhciiua Lake acquired for closer settlement. l'Vir soiine tew months past ih.ro lias been a quiet endeavor made to- bring this matter before the notice of tile authorities in whose department otich propositions are considered, but what is needed is a united effort by sane local authority. The .Levin .Borough Council, and' possibly the members for "\Yirokino riding in the llcrowhenua County Council, would be promoting the best efforts of the town and district if they tco'fc up this proposal in more than a general way. Definite figiu-es as to present values sihould be arranged and

submitted to the Land Purcha&e Commissioners; not merely the facts that- tho land is of fair average quality, well situated, capable of being cheaply roaded, and so l'orth. Guided by previous occurrences, tho petitionees for acquirement of land should submit proofs of what "prairie values" and partially improved land values amount to in this district. Some mast suitable lands for closer settle,mcnt, situated ;t few miles from Ljvin, were rejected by the Government Land Commissioners a few years .igo- because the price put upon the

land by the vendors was thought to he prohibitive. Doubtless the Corns mission &rs judged the cuse on a widespread knowledge of land values, and did not attach full importance to the i'aet that Levin and district is within some sixty miles of Wellington City's inexhaustible ma'rket for farm and dairy produce. What are the facts as now proven in regard to the land's we speak of? Values luve increased to an astonishing, degree. One settler, after some two years' work on his section of a very fav hundred

acres sold fcir some thousands of pounds the land that he. acquired for a few hundreds of pounds ill its lessimproved state. There are other instances of accretions in value, and of steady financial progress made by nonsell'ing settlors on newly-acqujired lauds in this district that wguld go a long way towards impressing the Land Commissioners if the facts and ii'gui\s were plainly set out, Toi do so would be the cause of an expenditure 01 money: and time on someone's part, but there would be much prospective gain for the local bodies eonearned, and the district they (represent. The manner in which -a ease is presented has a great dea.l to do with its ultimate success or failure.