VILLAGE SETTLEMENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1338, 28 November 1885, Page 2

VILLAGE SETTLEMENT.

Tbs settlers in Newtown, South Rskala, have addressed the following memorial to the Minister of Lands:—

Yoor memorialists beg respectfully to bring under yonr notice the following facta in connection with the working of the South Bakaia Village Settlement. 1. Y< ur memorialists applied for, and were granted, allotments of land varying in size from one and a-quarter to five acres, und r an Order in Council, published in the Gazette, 1880, page 460,- at ten pounds per acre ; and under the said order no selector is entitled to hold more than one allotment Yon will dbeerve how injuriously this order operates against the se.eotor who applied for one and a quarter acre allotment, as he is debarred from in-, creasing his holding to the maximum tml —five scree After an experience of flvb' ' years we find that in consequence of the' scarcity of work in this district we are ‘driven to great straits to provide a living . for our families. 2. As there is a quantity of unoccupied Grown lands, namely, the railwey.reserve, within two miles of the settlement, we would respectfully ask yon to pass an amending Order-in-Council whereby we would be permitted to increase our holdings to ten acres, and that the extra land be sold to us for five pounds per acre, as we consider LIO per acre too high a sum . for the land in the first Instance, when land In the same locality was sold for L2 per acre, cash. If yon should be tumble to comply with this request, we would ask you if yon could nlaoe any rural laud in Canterbury at our disposal, from which we could select fifty-acre sections nnder the perpetnsl leasing system, otherwise we fear we shell be compelled to abandon many of onr holdings, owing to onr inability to earn a living and reside thereon. 3 Yonr memorialists learn with satisfaction that you are about to visit Canterbury; and knowing the great interest which yon have hitherto taken in the question of promoting settlement we would be pleased if you would favor us with a visit, and we feel assured that, after a. personal observation, our claims for an increased area will meet with favorable consideration at yonr hands.