THE PUMICE COUNTRY.

Taihape Daily Times, 6 September 1919, Page 5

THE PUMICE COUNTRY.

POSSIBILITY OF DEVELOPMENT. AUCKLAND, Sept_ 2. The possibility of opening up the pumice and light soil lands of the Taupe district for soldier settlement was referred to by Mr H. M. Skeet, Commissioner of the South Auckland Land Board, yesterday. These lands have hitherto been thought Worthy of consideration by very few settlers, but attention has been directed to them by the unsatisfied demand for land for soldier settlement. Mr Skeet suggested that these lands, which amount to some. thing like a million acres, might be dex-eloped for this purpose. To» develop the tracts, Mr Skeet said, would require considerable ex.pendit.ure, probably up to £6 an acre, this sum being made up by the cost. of fertiliser, seed and l)l'eaking_up the land. The great ditficulty in carrying out ‘this development at present’ was the high cost of memorial and transit, and until more complete and cheaper means of transit were pl'o\‘i<,lod it was really very dithcult to judge How lthe venture would pan out. To develop and successfully occupy this pumice country would require men who must be preparedidurn in,r_;' the lirst years to have little return for their labour. Mr Skeet pointed out that hilthcrto the land had not been tlmugl:~t attractive enough for men of capital. except in a few instances, and so far-as the land has not been considered suitable for men without some means. Ifuthe land were brought into use, only the best parts would be worked fizés-“, for in such a large tract of country the quality of the land varied within wide ..limits. “What is really requirr-d_.” Mr Skeet said, “is for the State lioldly to face the position and to mal<c‘- ]ll'G\‘lSlO22 for a sum of money S11fil('l(,‘l1fl}' large to enable the settlers to avail lTl|('lllSx"lVOS of enough capital to ._l.-mop ll1(‘ll' land. This sum, no «l-culut. would run into millions, but the! wast anal 111'g:én*t necessities of the country require the eicrtrerne limit of productive activity ‘to be reached to enable it to pay its way under the enormous accumulation of_’loan's contracted (luring the War.” ' .3The example of the Vvorli done by Mr Vaile. 0': Broadlands. was éited by Mr‘ Skeet. This gentleman, who had «long much useful and experimental work, is finding. after a hard struggle that the land is lnigiiiiiiixg to yield a profit. ‘ l