The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 1929. ROOM FOR SETTLEMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 April 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 1929. ROOM FOR SETTLEMENT.

The Minister for Railways who passed this way recently, was not slow to observe that there is room for more settlement in Westland. Then 1 are of course pyeat tracts of Crown lands. .Much of it carries valuable timber,

which if .settlement were forced in advance before access lor effective transport Were provided, would be lost. One .-pecial reason why the s.uthorn railway should Ik* extended is to lap the orests and so save them betimes before ne growth of settlement wines out the ,reat stores of timber the . transport if which would assist so materially to my for the construction of the line, .part from the earnings to the State apartment from royalties. Mr Taverer, also, told the people of Blenheim oat the South Island had been .jglected in the past and had not had . lair share of toe public expenditure or development. The hanging up of ,ie South Westland railway is a case ed to the point. In the time of Sir . jseph Ward the extension of the lino • *yond Boss was authorised. • That was me eighteen years ago, hut the Govriinn.iit following the Liberal reign jfused to carry out the law, and the utlmrisati .n of the line has remained a .end letter ever since. Now, with the •turn of Sir .Joseph to p over it is an pportunc time to press again for the ■ork of construction, and as Mr Taverer has emphasised, we may claim with very justice for a fair share of the

xpenilituro availaole for developing.the mthern territory In that way more xim will be provided far settlement, rid Westland will be lifted ahead. Mr averner also remarked on the large runs of land held and not used to nil profit. This is the ease all through lie district, and if the Minister of .ands is seeking land for settlement ie coujd find many areas in this district which could be more closely ettled, and greater production and rosperify would follow. Following the ate visit of the Under-Secretary of .ands, it is understood the Poerua am is to be cut up into some ight sections, and judging from all ac■ounts there will be great demand for .he land. The run is situated at InterA'anganui, South Westland, and is regarded as a very promising proposition lor young settlers desirous of making a home for themselves. It is centred .losely to Hariliari where there is a miry factory, a good school, and a osident doctor. The settlement has all bo assets at band for very promising esnlt.s indeed. In other parts of the istrict there are considerable tracts of and held and nor adequately used, they offer good propositions for closer cttlcment, and the Farmers’ Unions hould note su.-h cases and bring them efore the Government which is so tlior. uglily in earnest as regards placing .orking settlors on the land. It upoars to us that a very great oppor- ; unity is offering at this juncture, and in territory such as this, with so much Crown land available, the resources of the place as regards further settlement should bo brought to notice most prominently. Other parts of the Dominion are not backward in pressing their wants, and Westland should keep pace with other centres, or it will remain the Cinderella of the provinces. The public bodies and other organisations .should got busy in this matter of such material importance.