SETTLING THE UREWERA.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 February 1920, Page 6

SETTLING THE UREWERA.

DECISION OF MINISTER. BLOCK TO BE OPENED UP. After his visit t to the Urewera Country, the Minister of Lands, the Hon. D. H. Guthrie stated that he would proceed forthwith with the opening up of the land already purchased by the Government from the natives. In parti''oning the land between the Crown and the natives, he continued, it must be remembered that neither party could claim all good land, leaving the other with all the poor land. The good and poor land must be partitioned equitably. The first object of the trip was to decide the route of the main arterial road from Tewhaiti, at the end of Urewera, to Ruatoki, as the main arterial outlet road. Necessarily the first step in opening the land, and one of the chief difficulties, was to devise means to make native land and Crown land bear the cost of roading equitably. However, whatever means he would use to ensure this, lie could give an assurance that there would be no delay in launching a scheme for opening the block. Surw, jrs would be set to work without delay to define the route of the main road. In reply to a deputation- from the County Council, Mr. Guthrie agreed that the railway outlet for timber from the Tewhaiti district and for stock and produce from Galatea should be down the valley of the Rangitikei River to Teteko, the same as in the case of the projected new road outlet from Galatea. The natives of Ruatoki and Whakatane asked that a block of land for the settlement of native soldiers should be provided. The Minister said that the suggestion of the Ruatoki natives that scattered native interests in the blocks be taken over by the Government, and that in return the natives should be given a consolidated block for returned soldiers, was a good one.