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W. C. KENSINGTON.]

Friday, 6th September, 1912. William Charles Kensington sworn and examined. (No. 2.) 1. The Chairman.] What is your occupation?—l am a retired Civil servant and am a settler now. 2. Do you wish to make a statement? —I think it will save the Committee's time if I make a statement. On page 25 of the report of evidence taken last year I gave certain evidence in my official capacity as Under-Secretary for Lands, with all responsibility, knowing that there were two rival parties before the Committee with two rival railway schemes. To-day I appear in a private capacity to give the Committee any information it may require. I would first ask whether my evidence in my official capacity will be taken as read? It is in the papers before the Committee. If so I would then like to make a short statement as to the value of the pumice lands and in connection with the extension of the railway. 3. What do you mean —your answers to questions? —No, as to the areas of land in paragraph 3 to paragraph 5, including the description of the land and the areas. 4. Mr. Buchanan.] If Mr. Kensington wishes this evidence to be taken as read it will be necessary for members of the Committee to have copies? —I will read the evidence :"Q. 2. Would you like to give a statement of your own?—l presume that the information the Committee require from me is as to the area of Crown land that might be influenced by the proposed extension of the company's railway-line, and the general character of the soil, and then that I should be ready to answer any questions. Q. 3. Yes? —I produce a map on a scale of four miles to the inch showing in pink the various Crown lands within a radius of thirty miles from the Town of Taupo. The whole of these lands Ido not consider would be influenced by this proposed railwayextension. I think the lands that are marked red, the total areas of which I will give, may be considered as being more or less within the influence of the proposed extension. The map will be placed before the Committee. I think there are about 166,800 acres of Crown land that might be said to be very nearly influenced by the proposed extension." The present terminus is shown by a blue line on the map. 5. Is there any difference between the maps shown this year and last?—Very little. I do not think there is any difference between the areas marked by the colour pink. Mr. Myers then asked (Q. 5), " Is that indicated by the red marks on your map [the 166,800 acres of Crown land]? —No; I have drawn a thirty-mile radius from the Town of Taupo. The present terminus of the Taupo Totara Timber Company's railway-line is shown on the map by a blue line. The actual distance in a direct line from the end of the railway-line to the Town of Taupo is between twelve and thirteen miles. Then there is another 184,441 acres that would be benefited outside the first area I mentioned —that is to say, benefited in a secondary degree. These areas make a total of 351,241 acres of Crown lands, which I consider would be benefited by the railway-exten-sion. There is a further area of 64,000 acres of Crown lands, but I consider that would come within the influence of the Rotorua railway-line, and not so much within the influence of this proposed extension. I have now dealt with 415,241 acres of Crown lands, and even part of the 64,000 acres comes within the thirty-mile radius from the Town of Taupo. Perhaps I had better now speak as to the general quality of the soil. I know the whole of these lands, although I have not been all over them. I have seen the rest of the land from the summit of Tauhara Mountain. The areas within the limits of the 166,800 acres I mentioned are of a variety of quality of soil, mostly what I should call pumice-and-gravel formation. Wherever the land is forest-covered there is a far better quality, there being a good deal of soil upon it. With regard to the lands that are immediately benefited, the greater portion is also of a light pumice formation. The same remark applies to the 184,000 acres and the open portion, and any forest originally existing upon it has been burned long ago, and apparently there is a little soil mixed with the pumice. Then, we have lands that are just within and partly outside the thirty-mile radius which are more or less heavy-forest lands. These are of a fairly good quality. These would come partly within the 184,000 acres. The quality of the land not covered with forest is light pumice and gravel land. I stated that the greater portion of the Crown lands within the second area of 184,441 acres was mostly light pumice land, with a very little soil mixed with it in parts; but that the other portion which is just on the verge or edge of the thirty-mile radius is chiefly forest land, ■and most of it is of fairly good quality." That is the evidence I gave as to the areas of these lands. To save the time of the Committee I would like to describe roughly that in the last two years there has been an extraordinary change in public opinion as to the value of these pumice lands. As far back as six or seven years ago no one looking at these areas would have thought of taking up these pumice lands, or would have thought that they could cultivate them with success; but to-day the feeling in connection with these pumice lands is completely changed. There are settlers now in occupation of exactly the same class of land, holding from 400 to 600 acres, who find that they can profitably farm it in the areas I have mentioned. I notice that Mr. Earle Vaile, in his evidence last year before the Committee,.said that over the good portion of this class of land so low an area as 200 acres would be sufficient for a settler to make a good living upon it. That area was in the very good portions; but I say myself that nowadays a settler could do with from 300 to 500 and 600 acres; I believe also that with proper and close farming settlement of these lands could be made to pay well and yield to a man a very good living. The position is this : that if settlers take up forest lands they have to pay for the felling of the bush, the burning, and then the grassing; and by the time the whole of this is done the expense connected with it does not stand them in much less than £3 an acre. Then these lands are still covered with stumps and cannot be ploughed. They have to be surface-sown with grass, and cannot be ploughed until the stumps are rotted; while* with these pumice lands which are open lands, they can be brought into profitable occupation and be made to yield a

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