Untitled

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4623, 16 January 1894, Page 2

Some time ago tbo lease of [lie Momohaki estate, situated' neat Waverley in tbe 'faranaki distriot, fell in, and the Bottlers in the immediate neighbourhood presented a petition to the Land Board, praying that' 800 acres of this land be formed into a Village Settlement, the soil being ex* Id ceptiunally rich and well adapted for the homesteads of small cottagers. The Land Board recommended that the petition be granted but the Head ' office of the Lands Department did not carry oot the recommendation. It i was then proposed to convert the pro-1 - pert; into a state farm, but the idea ■ was abandoned. Recently without con- ' suiting the Land Board the Land and ' 3i Survey Department, has divided the block into thirteen Beotione, varying ' in area from 20 to lWaores.Thespsec- j tions—without being fairly advertised , f" —will be offered fordisposalsometjme | during the nest few days. We i understand that a< raajprity of the < pjetpbers of the Boar! are somewhat indignant at the way its re- ( commendation, and the wishes of ! ~ the population in the neighbourhood J of the estate, have been Bet aside by i the Department. The Board considers y that owing to its situation and exco]f- j tional value (which may be estimated i from the faot that the price k these < larger seotions will be iroin ' »6 to £lO ' D per/acre), the block instead of being ] divided into thirteen sections only, , would supply admirable homesteads ' " for nearly 100 working men. Owing t to the illness of the Minister of a ' Lands, it is' difficult to Becure his , intervention, but s|ops are being taken t ' to comiriunibate with' 'the Premier i and Under Secretary for' witbj* \

ihe view of. preyentingrwhat- appears o bea very high-handed proceeding rd- the; part of'the Ht-ad Offioe, Fhero is reason to believe that there sill be friction between ' the Board Hid the Department over the matter, us although tlie Minister and most of the members of the Board are strongly in favour of village settlement, the Department seems to oppose the outtiug up of blocks into small holdings,