CUMLANDS COMMISSION

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 1 May 1914, Page 3

CUMLANDS COMMISSION

As many of our readers are in a quandary as to the mission of the Gumlands Inquiry, we quote for their edification a report of a meeting lately held in Mangonui and the Chairman of the Commissions address, as published in the " Age." A meeting of the Commission .was held at de Silva's Hotel on Tuesday night at 8 p.m., to receive evidence from persons interested in the work of the Commission. The Chairman (Milt. P. Greville, F.R.G.S.), briefly stated the objects of the Commission, and remarked that a good deal of misconception, seemed to exist on the subject of the purpose of the Commission. The total area of the gum reserves to be investigated by the Commission is over 200,000 acres, extending from Houhora in the north to Katikati in the Bay of Plenty, and a good deal of agitation has been set on foot from time to time, on the one hand by those "who maintained that the 'bulk of the land was now largely worked out as far as the gum is concerned and therefore ought to fre freed for settlement purposes, and on the other hand agitation fry diggers and those directly interested in the gum trade that the reservations should still be retained, In order to ascertain the real state of affairs the Minister of Lands (Hon. W. F.Massey) has set up the Commission in order to visit every . gum reserve and to, interview the diggers themselves and settlers * , in the various localities who are specially interested in the matter. In some quarters the Commissioners had found an impression abroad that the Government in setting up the Commission had designs on the gum reserves, but he was able to state plainly that ■ therei'was absolutely no foundation for such an erroneous impression. There was no doubt that some of the reserves either •*""' Wholly or in part contained no "*Him at all and there were also large tracts of fertile country within the boundaries of some of the reserves quite fit for settlement purposes. The aim of the Commission would be, by collecting evidence and making a thorough inspection of each re- > :ser.ve in a careful and systematic manner, to put the case in such a way that the Government would be able to determine the proper course to pursue for the good of the whole Dominion. In travelling through the county • members of the Commission have been struck with the- large stretches of good country, passed from the Crown, awaiting closer settlement and more vigorous development, and they consider the North has great posM-Uniities in the way of carrying a largts i population, adding very materially in the near future to the agricultural wealth of the whole Dominion.