RATING NATIVE LANDS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 628, 17 December 1913, Page 5

RATING NATIVE LANDS.

RANGITOTO SETTLERS' POSI TION.

CLOSINU A TRACK. The matter of reading lands which have been taken up by settlers directly from the natives again came up for discussion at the County Council meeting on Monday evening. A number of settlers wrote to the Council protesting against the closing of a track by Mr J. Turich. The clerk explained that he had visited the locality and had seen some of the parties interested. The track in question went through the only level piece of ground that Mr Turich had available for ploughing and Mr Turich desired to put in a crop and I close the track. He did not wish to inflict a hardship on the settlers who were using the track, but it was obviously impossible for the man to grow a crop and allow stock to be driven through it. Mr Turich had a letter from the Commissioner of Crown Lands advising him he was within his rights in fencing off the track, and the Council's solicitor was of the same opinion. As far as he could see relief co ild onlv be obtained by the settlers interested forming a special rating area, and raising a loan to put a road through to give them proper access. There was a grant of £IOOO on the Estimates for the Rangitoto road, and this amount would construct the road to a point from which the settlers could carry it on through the land to which it was desired to give access. He understood the settlers were prepared to go in for a loan and the Council could assist them by applying to have a road surveyed under the usual conditions, whereby the settler? guaranteed the cost of survey. It was decided to assist in the manner suggested.