SHOULD BE SETT?N

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 476, 9 March 1933, Page 4

SHOULD BE SETT?N

GALATEA STATIlg f |P GOVT. FAILURE TO OPEI§EIV LAND MEANS RAPIt^R DETERIORATION S — ®A] REVERTS TO SECOND ^ L £ The failure of the Gpvernfcjl plant settlers on the Galatea^^11 is going to cost the D.ominion^pr€ penny before very long.

An inspection made by ing Post" representative tlJpe day'showed that the matter ious one and one that needsffied action and that before long.My"11 The position is that the fla^^is' had been well grassed are practically no stock, in fac^^(. paddocks bordering the there were only half a-dozc® to be seen and perhaps Any practical farmer where land, particularly try such as Galatea, is und^p^ second growth comes on jjtjw 'young grass is killed out. Tp||| case in Galatea. Seen fromf^i side the paddocks are beautiffl^. f ' and the fences in the best j&J1" tion, but through the throughout there are sprigsjlffp ( and fronds of fern, whilst tl-^ sign such as tracks of ar.: f,: turing. It is quite obvious 0XJ grass is running out. l, V" ■ A good deal 'of ploughingj ^ done and pasture sown dowri'ROO less some settlement is pr| — — shortly and the pastures stL^ . the time the department co^Sq ready to settle the land it to be done over again. j There is a steeteh of sc^-^»0. miles of roads which was ccjj^g . by the Public Works Departj ( handed over to the Land^ s-|]ie ment. When these were ha: ^ they were in good condif^^Q formed and graded with ing surface. Apparently ncijiijjgy thing has been done to ti ' j then and they are rapidly ing and slipping back. TheLqY a] shot the gravel to the sidcre^.an; will soon disappear unless 2*j. , Sce put on and the metal drai j the crown of the road. OhgA" ] the bacic roads the culverts vChme ed and the first fresh rainjjg^y over the roads and scour oi;^ vel and all that work will done over again at thef"*' .

expense. j The plain position is tlia^ case of a job half-done whipOj^ allowed through a change ( — policy to go xight back L __ matter of £80,000 has ah; spent, unless the Lands B, , gets busy and places the nf1 ^ land who will work it, somt yje another £80,000 will have tj „ of the public pockets beforJl 0 be settled. i> At present there are liu^/y ex-farmers, and other sui^ who, if they were placed-rffar places (for the land is divided by something like:.,, , of f encing out of a total of^an was included in tbe ori[ ; gramme), would and coui.4 ' j ^ •/ ■£ 4.Z. non 0 do of at if were rea; sisted at the start. The position of the fer itself interesting. There: JQUI miles of fencing already L1 there is about three g, 7 amount still to be done fc: the posts, strainers and 1 Bei cut and in some cases on int has There they lie and appaiits wh they will lie and rot ii;he sil means are taken to shiftiledi h ment concerned from itsjr. O titude. bnths

Summed up the posit: The sum of £80,000 wK ready been spent upon thi?f CIT to a large extent, haver counted and a further £6( ®er' by the taxpayer to do all? Amb; the work which has beeni* the fifty to a hundred familibases placed on the area in 3.°P- w j sized farms within a ff I^azi Gangs of unemployed co; j be set to work fencing aip q i roadwork repairing the da; \ has already been done oi " ! lect and preventing furtl)ENUl money.

Unless action is takei Berli £80,000 of taxpayer 's 1^ ^ have been flung away hed th apathetic attitude of t-helcjs 0£ ->■ ..