UTILISING THE SEAMEN’S FUND.

Shannon News, 28 March 1924, Page 3

UTILISING THE SEAMEN’S FUND.

AFFOI GUSTATION PROPOSALS. Negotiations in connection with the acquisition of a largo farm property near Bulls by the trustees,,, of the tflieepownors' Acknowledgment of Debt to British Seamen Fund, have just boon completed, and the land, comprising about 6000 acres in all, was legally taken over recently. The headquarters of the fund were recently transferred from Wellington to Palmerston North, where the secretary, Mr. E. B. Watson, is now stationed. For some time past the trustees have been considering ways and means of utilising the land for the settlement of the sons and daughters of seamen who served in the great war, and it has been realised that tree planting will have to bp carried out on a fairly extensive scale on the lighter and more sandy portions of the estate.

In connection with this aspect of the project Mr. H. A. Goudic, Conservator of State Forests, recently visited the estate. Interviewed by a “Standard'' reporter on his return, Mr. Goudie said: "I want to emphasise the fact that my department is acting purely in an advisory capacity to the trustees of the fund. Wo rode over the recently acquired property, which is largely of a sandy formation', and in the poorer parts it will be necessary to plant shelter belts to improve the farming value of the land. About 80 per cent, of the country will have to be planted, and the trustees purpose planting 100 acres this season with pinus insignis fr6m the Rotorua plantations."