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Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1930, Page 4

In the House last week, the Acting Prime Minister supplied some interesting particulars affecting the land settlement policy of the Government and the late purchases. The operations in purchasing land have been fairly substantial, Toe return covered the purchase of some 64,650 acres at a capital cost •of £062,964, This works out at an average of Jess than ten guineas per acre, though some of the land cost, £46, £49 and £6O per acre. 'ln all 182 pew settlers were placed on the land, though of the twenty-four settlements quoted four are not yet ready for occupation, The land is in the North Island, with a considerable area on the East Coast of the South Island. We note that nothing is returned for the West Coast. The omission might well be made good and Mr O’Brien, M.P. has been urging action in that direction. Also, more might bo done to settle Crown lands in Westland. In some | localities roading is going on, and settlement might he encouraged if the required enterprise were shown. The land purchased in prevous years in Westland has given satisfactory results. At both Kokatahi and Koiterangi where special settlements were created, the settlers have done well. The Borough endowment area at Ivoi torangi was also settled successfully. There are some large areas still in the same localities which would t be serviceable for closer settlement if purchased and cut •' up, and an increased industrial population would result. The localities' referred to are well roaclecl already, and dn'*olose connection with , established dairy factories, so that settlers .would bo able to win a return from the beginning of their occupation, In referring to this subject previously, we have mentioned the considerable area of Grown lands in the southern district awaiting settlement, The latest efforts in that direction referred to endowment blocks of land, and they were settled successfully, Reports 'indicate' that the next area of this class to be thrown open in the Inter-Wanganui district, will he, replied with applicants. This goes to prove that where the opportunity offers there will be the demand for settlement land, It was' suggested some little time ago, that t.he question raised about a land Settlement scheme for the Jackson river flats in the far nouth and other areas which had been brought to the notice of tlie authorities, was to l>o investigated by a special commission. If that ibe the decision, the sooner it is siven effect to the better, as valuable time is being lost, The lands of Westland for stock raising and dairying are certainly beyond all doubt, as results have proved, and the sooner the waste land of the district is made available for easy settlement the better it will be for the general progress of' the district.