ABOUT AN EDUCATION RESERVE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3889, 29 December 1928, Page 3

ABOUT AN EDUCATION RESERVE.

m£. ■ / -In our last issue a correspondent | (Mir. E. G. Martin) made reference i| to an education reserve of 400 sft acres on the north-eastern bound■ii ary of the borough which he quoted as being suitable for “'high producf|: tion” and which was leased at six pence per acre and “brought into the coffers of the Education Board the munificent sum of £lO per an- \ num.” Further, he stated that the right to lease the reserve was only advertised in “one particular Wajv ' ganui paper.” In (the first place :• we would point out that the Wanganui Education Board has nothing % whatever to do with the reserve and

does not even get “the munificent H sum of £lO per annum” in its cof- ■; fers for it. This reserve is eon- ; trolled by the Lands Department ' and has been in possession of the present lessee’s family for over 40 rf; years. On (two occasions it has been re-valued, the last occasion Ui,Jby a Government valuator and the rental, per acre is, we are informed, much in excess of the amount quoted by our correspondent. We are hot in possession of the facts concerning the method adopted of leasing or the period of such lease, except to say that the Department ■would be guilty of a serious misdemieanor if full publicity were not given in calling applications for leasing. We are as 1 anxious as any

'" one to promote closer settlement amt increased production in our . immediate district and will gladly ... co-operate „to bring this about by any means in our power. We haje Bjareanonsly stated that so-called seIMmd and third-class land in the district can, under scientific treatment, be m'ade to produce wealth and prosperity, B| who possesses the compelling He?