THE EREWHON SUB-DIVISION.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3457, 10 April 1920, Page 4

THE EREWHON SUB-DIVISION.

The Erewhon land, that is now being? sub-divided for closer settlement purposes, was, a few years ago, in the pound-an—aere category, Ito-day it is still in the extraoi-di'n’arily good Value stage, but in only a few years?‘ as population increases, that "excellent farm land will have reached -the stage that land around this towll is now in, the forty pounds an acre stage. There is evidence of what effect Settlement «has on land values at Ohakune and { Raetihi, where land. is selling at forty lpounds an acre, and the purchaser ‘knows Itliat, if needs be, he can grow cereals -on that "land at a profit. No matter what product it is most prorfitable to produce, th.e forty-pounds-an _acre land will never become a losing proposition. If land on the very slopes of Ruapehu is bought up by farmers who have years of experience on land -alongside it, at forty pounds, ,then Erewhon land is going to be an ! exceedingly profitable investment. Erewhen is all freehold, and nothing but some unforseen international disruption. or natural calamity can prevent an otherwise certain incremept in value. In support of this view, there {is the Taihape land to’ ‘the south-west of Erewhon and Raetihi to the northwest of it. It is distinctly unreasonable -and illogical to assume that such well-farmed, good landas Erewhon is, can remain for long at a aless market valrfe tlla.n.no better land around Tai-h-ape and R-aetihi. As a matter of fact, far-seeing men are quite aware jthat land within a radius "of ‘forty miles of this town will ‘increase in i value, collectively, by millions "of. pounds in the comparatively near future. ' Most of the twelve thousand acres of Erewlion land. have been lploughed and are now in ‘English E grasses. or eultivatedwitli other crops; it is unde.nial§‘l'y land of above average 1 quality. and in mentioning it in these icolumns we do so because this Dominiion can only get out of its difficulties iand continue to progress in the future {as it: has progressed in the past, by more closely settling its lands, Cutting ‘up over-large estates, and placing l them under more iiitensive cultivation, iensuring the growthof two blades of lgrass where one was wont. If by jdividing Erewhon into smaller and lmore easily controllable farms better 'cultivation is assured, and the enthus- ‘ iastie new owners do succeed in mak;ing two blades of grass grow where ,one grows now, those men will have ‘dofibled the grazing value of their holdings. Closer settlement, “more settlement and still more settlement,” iséa. slogan that must be made to mean ‘something if this ‘Dominion is to ‘ escape the hard times ahead, brought iabout by a supply that. is not comj mensurate with the demand, anti when ithe medium of exchange will have ;become disastrously appreciated Land gin this district is still held in very l large areas, some of the ‘further back ‘so large that they are unmanageable; :this district’s needs, and the whole eountry’s financial needs, demand that ‘these ‘large estates should be more closely settled, for if a farmer with ‘one thousand acres can give that attention to his land which will result in two blades of grass being grown, While land in ten. thousand acre areas is -only producing the proverbial one blade, it is plain that the grazing value of land fin .slnall'Y:il‘nls is double what it is in large runs. and the eountry’s rielies are increased n,(3(fO‘l'(l'lngly. "As a large run lilrewhon is particularly wellfarmed, but its production will, we confidently predict, be doubled in. the very near future. In the lligll—priced land around towns there is no increment to look forward to. but who will 311)’ “lot the value of Erewhon land will not soon be in eonform"l't_v with values of land nearer Taihape. and nearer Raetihi. It is most desirable that bone fide farmers should prevent Erewhon falling into the hands of srieculators. for Ercwhon has doubted-* _lossl_\-' a great future lwtore it. ;