Land Settlement in Hawke's Bay.

Waipukurau Press, Volume I, 4 May 1906, Page 2

Land Settlement in Hawke's Bay.

■ % The revenue of the H.B. Land Board for the year ending March 31st last was over £67.000. There is now very little Crown land suitable for selection in Hawke’s Bay (according to the N.Z. Times), and what remains is chiefly in the Poverty Bay district. There is a feeling in Napier that the Land Purchase Board should devote its a rention to land nearer the capital of Hawke’s Bay—the Board’s operations having, so far, tended in the direction of southern Hawke’s Bay. The comparatively small sum applied for under the Advances to Settlers Act shows the prosperity of the settlers, and that they are able to live well on their own resources.

A curious sidelight on the “land fever” in Hawke’s Bay was shown recently at the ballot for section 1, block 16, Mangatora, of 1169 acres, offered under the optional system* There were 44.1 applicants. These were not all genuine applicants. They included many speculators, because, it was said, the successful man could easily get £lOOO on his bargain, Luckily, it fell to a labourer, residing at Waipukurau, who intends to work the property himself. He pays ninepence per acre rental, and in ten years* time can complete purchase at 15s per acre (he has taken it up under the system of occupation with right of purchase). Assuming that one half the applicants for this single section were genuine, it shows that there is an unsatisfied demand existing for acquiring land such favourable conditions. JThis particular seciion is situated twelve miles from Weber.

An instance of the prosperity of the settlers under the Land for Settlements Actin Hawke’s Bay is shown in the case of the Hatuma settlers. Four years ago they were something like £3OOO in arrears. Their first season was a bad one,, and they were accordingly allowed three years in which to pay up their arrears. That period expired in June last. At the end of the last financial year the Land Board had not a single penny in arrears on its books in regard to this settlement.

There were over fifty applicants last w’eek for ten rural sections in. the Tamaki Village Settlement extension, of 785 acres, forming part of the Tamaki Block, a large area of country that extends into Wellington provincial border. The lease of about 4500 acres of this, block now held by the Hawke’s Bay Timber Company and the Tamaki Pastoral Company, will expire in about two years’ time, and the land will then be thrown open for select ion. It is first-class, dairying country.'