HARBOUR BOARD TREE PLANTING SCHEME.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4464, 12 June 1930, Page 3

HARBOUR BOARD TREE PLANTING SCHEME.

DEE IN IT E OFFER MADE EOR PURCHASE OE LAND. The Eoxton Harbour Board has now received a definite price :n connection with the proposed purchase of the sand dime country to the south of the Manawalu River for tree planting in connection with the proposed river protection scheme. Yesterday a farther conference between the local committee and the Native owners was held in the Board’s office at Eoxion, when Mrs. Aputa Eparaima, the principal owner concerned, was present. Air. R. Edwards produced a plan of the area under discussion and outlined tin' land the Board was desirous of obtaining.

Airs. Aputa Eparaima stated that she was the sole owner of s<if> acres of the Rerengaohau block, the remaining .150 acres of which belonged to Airs. 11. McMillan, of Levin, but whatever decision she came in with regard to the land Airs. MacMillan would agree to. The Papa again block, however, belonged lo a. number of Natives, most of whom lived at Tanpo. She was interested in ihis block also and the other owners were al-o similarly prepared to fall in with any decision -he made in regal'd to this

area. Air. Perreau thought that possibly a more representative gathering would be necessary before any finality could be reached in the matter hut both Air. Hone MacMillan and the secretary (Air. R. llaugibcuca) endorsed All's. Eparaima.’s statement in regard to the land. Air. Rnngihcuea slated that all owners had. been circularised lo attend the meeting that day and Mrs. Eparaima had been empower d to act.

Mr. Edwards said the Hoard desired the owners to fix a reasonable price for the land. The present G<>H'rnuent, lie said, was obviously quite prepared lo deal in the matter of acquiring the land as it realised that sand drifts must be slopped in order to protect the river. Tt was the Board's desire, if possible, to purchase the • Rerengaohau and Papangaio blocks which extended from the sea t«> the junction with the Manawalu River at a spot known as the Elbow, a mile above the Eoxton wharf, Imt not, including the Matakarapa block. He counselled the owners to deal now while the opportunity presented itself. Airs. Eparaima. stated that during last year she expended the sum ot i::lilf) on improving her land in the Rerengaohau block hut the remainder of the areas under review was for the most part lupins and sand drift. She was prepared to offer ilo' Rerengaohau block fit •‘lit/- per acre and the Papangaio block at f l per acre. In the former however, there was a cemetery of Id acres in extent and this would have to he preserved and the Natives given access from the river to the cemetery. Air. MacMillan said that, the cemetery had already been dedicated in the Native Land Court as a reserve and there would be no trouble iii that connection.

Mr. Edwards pointed out that the land was valued at l/- an acre, Hu I he quite realised that Hurt valua-

'i >ll had been made many years ago ml that the land was more voluble than that to-day.

Mr. Perreau said that he did not know that the local committee could recommend the purchase ol I lie. land at .’it)/- an acre.

The secretary staled that during ihe last three weeks two Depart,ii.enlal engineers had carried out an inspection of the area with a view to inducing tin 1 Marine Department to purchase the freehold and plant trees on the area in order in protect the river. Farther discussion failed to induce .Mrs. Eparaima to reduce the price asked iMr the land and the secretary was instructed to prepare a. report on the meeting to be, submitted to the next meeting ol the Harbour Board.

Mrs. A pula Eparaima and Mrs. Hone MacMillan have made generous bequests to the borough of Fuxloti in the past. The site on which the High School buildings arc situated was donated to the Education Department by them while they also made a generous donation to the. Fox ton Borough Council of an area of land now known as Ihulkara Gardens, the i,nine of the hitter being that of the donors father, Ihulkara Tukumaru. Mrs. Eparaima now resides at. Alannwutu Heads while Airs. MacMillan is in residence at Levin.