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occupiers of which could, if necessary, supplement their living by outside employment. All the sections were taken up, and the settlers are making good progress. (3.) Reporoa Settlement, about twenty-five miles from Rotorua, on the road towards Taupo : Two blocks of this settlement were opened during the year, as the road and drainage operations progressed sufficiently to enable the land to be occupied. Nineteen sections, comprising 3,065 acres, were occupied at the close of the year, and good work has been done by most of the settlers in building, fencing, and otherwise improving their holdings. The cost of conveyance of materials from Rotorua to the settlement has been somewhat of a handicap, but arrangements are being made which will, it is hoped, improve matters in this respect. (4.) Otamarakau Settlement (opened 9th August, 1920), situated on the line of the East Coast Railway, between Matata and Te Puke, in the Bay of Plenty : This consists of about 570 acres of level land of good quality for dairying, with a railway-siding adjoining, so that the settlers have good facilities. There are eight settlers on the estate, three of them being members of Native contingents, for whom some of the sections were specially set aside. Good progress is being made, and some of the settlers have already commenced dairying. (5.) Orongo Settlement, situated at the mouth of the Waihou River, close to Thames, the land being level alluvial land of the same quality as the Hauraki Plains, of which, in fact, it forms part. The whole area of the estate is about 2,082 acres, but a considerable portion requires drainage and other works before it is ready for occupation, and the only portion offered up to the present has been 449 acres, opened on the 17th September, 1920, in eleven sections, which were readily taken up. The difficulty of obtaining building-material delayed these settlers, but several of them commenced dairying during the season, and the whole should get a good start in the coming season and should then make satisfactory progress. (6.) Pukemapou Settlement, situated about fifteen miles from Te Awamutu, and comprising 1,122 acres, in twelve sections, was opened on the 21st February, 1921. It consists of undulating land of good quality, and good swamp, the whole being suitable for dairying. There was a fair demand for the sections, eight of which were occupied at the close of the year, and the disposal of the others were practically arranged. (7.) Kopuku and Kopuku No. 2 Settlements are situated near Mercer, and were acquired under section 3 of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, on the application of the settlers who have taken up the sections. They comprise a total area of 1,576 acres, and provide holdings for fourteen settlers. Building, fencing, and other works have occupied the settlers up to the present, but they should be in a position to start dairying during the coming season. In addition to the foregoing there are the Whatawhata Settlement, of 270 acres, near Frankton Junction, occupied by three settlers ; and the Rotomanuka Settlement, of one holding (82 acres) in the same locality, both of which were acquired under section 3, in the same way as the preceding blocks. Both of these small settlements comprise level dairying-land of first-class quality, and the success of the occupiers is assured. The whole of the foregoing blocks comprised land more or less improved and, with the erection of necessary buildings, fencing, &c, in a condition to yield an early return. The principal blocks of undeveloped Crown land which have been offered during the year are as follows : — (1.) Matamata North Block, of 360 acres, in five sections, opened 22nd October, 1920. This is very good agricultural and dairying land, and, as it is situated close to the railway and midway between two dairy factories, the holdings should, when broken in and grassed, give a good living to the settlers. (2.) Moerangi Block, of which twenty-two sections, comprising 15,255 acres, were opened on the 27th April, 1920, is land of a very different character, being rough and broken hill country, in bush, although it is good grazing-country when properly broken in. Eighteen sections, comprising 10,879 acres, have been taken up, and the settlers have made a good beginning with clearing and grassing operations. (3.) Manawahe Block, consisting of twenty-three sections, comprising 7,976 acres, was opened on the 24th May, 1920 ; it is situated on the north side of Lake Rotoma, between Rotorua, and Matata, and includes partly open fern and scrub land and partly bush. Nineteen sections, totalling 6,020 acres, have been taken up, and good work is being done by the settlers in clearing, grassing, fencing, &c. (4.) A block of twenty sections, containing in all 1,775 acres, on the Hauraki Plains, was opened for selection on the 12th July, 1920, and attracted considerable competition. Some of these sections carried a certain amount of rough feed, but all required a considerable amount of work in clearing rushes, draining, fencing, and erection of buildings. A few of the settlers should be able to dairy next season, but some of the deeper peat sections will be suitable mainly for running young stock until the peat is consolidated. (5.) Ongarue Block, comprising twenty-five sections, containing 15,960 acres, situated eastward from Waimiha, between Te Kuiti and Taumarunui, was opened for selection on the 23rd August, 1920. This block consists of hilly to broken open and bush country, of fairly good quality for grazing. Some of the settlers have been able to make advantageous arrangements for disposing of the milling-timber on their sections, and are commencing to clear and grass. A number of scattered areas of unimproved land in various parts of the district have also been offered, but have not generally attracted much demand, and there are still unselccted about, seventythree sections, comprising 53,000 acres, which have been neglected by soldier applicants, and can

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