SUNDAY ISLAND

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 452, 8 June 1937, Page 5

SUNDAY ISLAND

SETTLEMENT SCHEME Promoters Resent Minister’s Criticism Press Association—Copyright. Auckland, June’ 7. Exception, to ‘the advice offered by the Minister of Lands, Hon. F. Langstone, discouraging any persons from inventing in the scheme for the settlement of Sunday Island, was taken by Mr A. L. Denniston, Auckland, honorary secretary of the Kermadec Development Syndicate. He criticised Mr Langstone for making the statement before he had invited full particulars from those responsible for the scheme, and said the Minister’s facts were far from correct.

“In the first place,” said Mr Denniston, “the sum of £4O is not only for the purchase of land and a free passage to the island for every settler, but there will also be a very large sum which will be used for installing a water supply, generating electricity and building ,a smell hospital with all medical stores. A qualified surgical nurse and. a dientist are accompanying the settlers. There will be a small school room, since a retired schoolmaster is to be a settler, a community store, and a wireless outfit capable of sending and receiving. This* is apart from more than probable fact that Pan-Am-erican Airways will be installing a meteorological station on the island. "If an epidemic broke out a wireless message to me at Auckland would very soon have a doctor on a boat oft to treat the settlers with all drugs and other necessities. This would not be at the expense of the New Zealand Government. Indeed, one distinct and often expressed hope has been that the Government will not unnecessarily interfere with the settlers, who have sufficient money to carry on without such help.

“Wi(h regard to communication with the island the committee in charge has tentatively arranged for the permanent charter of a large auxiliary schooner which will make regular trips, and which by means of overhead gear can be loaded and unloaded in all weathers when required. This disposes of the bugbear connected with landing facilities. The Minister states that presumably the syndicate will arrange for the necessary survey. Is it .at all likely that such an important -matter should have been overlooked? He need not have presumed; he could have asevrtained this and other facts by the simple process of making inquiries. For Mr Langstone’s edification I may state that a licensed, qualified and registered surveyor will sub-divide the block as soon as the committee requires it. Futhermore, the land is- already under the Land Transfer Act, which will give to each settler a New Zealand Government guaranteed title to ownership. “It may also.be of interest to the public to kti-ik',” said Mr Denniston, “that fruits and other produce can be placed on the New Zealand market in their respective seasons earlier than from any other Country supplying New Zealand. In addition, oranges, lemons, grape .fruit, passion fruit, paw paws, rockmelons, taros, kumeras, hops and so on will be in supply when the local markets are bare, and as freight will be less than it will be from islands farther away, so therefore will the cost to 'the consumer be less. “It would be interesting to know who gave this unsatisfactory information To- the Minister, I suspect that it came from someone whom we considered would be an unsatisfactory settler, and I have had a great many such, or from one who Isnew the j§.

land before the days when electricity, ' machinery and up-to-date 1 science i were used commercially. I uepeat ; that the Minister made a grave blunder when he did not deem it neces- , sary or worth while to ascertain 1 these and many other facts before making his critical statement, which . as it stands is such a misleading! warning.”