AFTER THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 262, 15 April 1915, Page 8

AFTER THE WAR.

1 PROVIDING FOR THE SOLDIERS. ; OPEN UP THE UREWERA COUNTRY. Auckland, April 14. Already in other parts of the Empire serious thought is being devoted to Jie making of provision for work and opportunity after the war for the hundreds of thousands of men who are at presint fighting the nation's battles against Germany. The majority of'theso'mcn represent the flower and vigor of the Empire's manhood, and Earl Grey has pro ; posed that they should be given facilities for going on the land. The mind turns naturally to Australia and Canada, with their still vast undeveloped spaces, hut New Zealand is still a sparsely sottled country and could find profitable use for a large number of young men who are bound to seek, life and fortune in a new eouiitrv when peace is restored to Europe. Apart from this, thousands of young New Zealanders are at the front, and tliere is a strong probability that many of them may be tempted to settle in other lands unless something is done to attract them back to the Dominion. Australia is formulating schemes for ensuring the return of her own soldiers, besides capturing :u many others as can he induced to throw in their lot with ths Commonwealth, and a strong influential committee, lots been I formed m London to co-operate with the Australian movement.

Mr Robert liurns. president of the llmmber of Commerce, in oxprossiii" llir opinion that every ell'ort sliould be made to attract New Zealand's boys back after the war, pointed out that'an excellent opportunity presented itse'f in providing settlement, facilities in ;N P Auckland province. There was, lie kj id, at the present time a block of (iOU (Ml) acres--over 10(1(1 square miles—of Native lacd in the Urewcra Country doing nothi'.i" I he. Maoris were anxious to sell th" lar.d and had called i ineetin-', to be IH.I shortly at Te Whaiti, to discuss the terms. The land would not be immediately reproductive and the Government won d have to inaugurate, some scheme similar to that adopted in Western Australia, where the settlor* were paid" for ii proportion of the improvements thov ollectcd. liut the scheme would be a splendid one. both for the country and as an attraction to the your." men who might be tempted to go" to some other country, and thus be lost to the Do-1 minion.

It would be necessary, added Mr. Burns, to construct a light railway into tins land from To Toko, hut the building ot this hue could be 1IW( i to assi , ( . t ,. 0 settlers to cam money for improving ho:r sections Ample. water-power eou'.l be ootained iron, the Kangitaiki Hi cor t» apply electricity as the motive power on this line. Ibid any other pro.irec than Auckland possessed such u block 'of undeveloped land it would have been under cultivation long ago. | Jfr. Hums remarked Ihat in a loil-r urging the opening up of this 058,000 acres, Mr. James (Irani, of Ualatca, wrote:—'-This country would make firstclass slice]) ajjrt cattle country. The Te U'haiti block has also very valuable mill "!.'.( timber on it, and if thrown open for sale-the land would be a valuable feeler for the East Coast Eailway" ' I