EMIGRATION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 367, 7 June 1911, Page 5

EMIGRATION.

A LOSS TO THE KING COUNTRY

EFFECT OF LOCKED UP LANDS

New Zealand is losing some of its best and most promising would-be settlers. Five young men are leaving the Marokopa-Kinohaku districts this week for Queensland. They consider that they have now saved enough by means of hard work and industry to be able to take up a piece of land. QuestLmed as to their raeson for leaving New Zealand they said it was because they could get no land. They weie not in a position to pay enormous goodwills for native leases or to buy partly-improved Crown sections. What they wanted was virgin country that they could make a start on, and make what they could out of it. "In the Marokopa and Kiritehere districts," said one of the five, "there are over 20,000 acres of Crown land lying idle that could be settled tomorrow if only thrown open. This area of land has been subdivided into 28 sections, varying from 500 to 900 acres, for over live years, and it is all good bush land, a good pare of which is suitable for dairying, and the rest excellently adapted for sheep farming. I know for certain that petitions have been sent to the Minister for Lands, asking him to have this land thrown open, but without result." The country in question lies to the south of the Kiritehere Valley, and is about nine miles from Marokopa, a tidal port where small steamers trade. It is mostly all undulating land, and is splendid piece of country. Settlers in that vicinity have been endeavouring for some time to have the land settled, but have had no results. They consider that if this particular picee of country was thrown open a fine dairying district could be established. They have been on their sections for five or six years, and a3 they have their farms sufficiently improved to commence an industry, they consider it unjust and unfair that this fine area of countiy should be liyng idle at their very door. One settler remarked a few days ago that it was bad enough to have native lands lying idle, but it was worse when tho Government tied up land that was already surveyed and ready J for settlement. "It is no wonder, he said, "that the young men in the ! district with experience on the fron- : tiers of settlement are seeking fields | and pastures new."