INSPECTION OF A VILLAGE SETTLEMENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1924, 21 August 1888, Page 3

INSPECTION OF A VILLAGE SETTLEMENT.

A gentleman who has been In the colony for many years writes to the " New Zealand Herald " :— " All who are anxiou3 for the progress and development of the country must sympathise with the present < agitation for thn revival of tbe village settlement scheme. Aa I have frequently visited the Takabuae settlement, a few remarks may be of U3O to those who would like to take up land under the village settlement system. The settle- ■ ment is an unqualified success, and when it is known that only three out of all the settlers had any previous knowledge of land, I think the?e need be little fear of persons willing t? work making a better living than many do about towns. The following are some of the previous occupations of settlers:— l lawyer (Bngllih solicitor,) 1 unemployed sohoo!m«ster, 1 suotlonoer, 1 coastal oaptain, 1 commercial traveller, 1 brloklayer, 1 cement- worker, 1 wool*stapler, 1 sailor, 1 station manager, 2 farm hands, 4 carpenters, and 1 widow. They are all making a living, and very few would go baok to Auckland if they were offered situations, thinking It better to have what they work for than to ha done ont of it by employers. Toey took several prises at the last Ealtala show, and will probably take more at the next one. Their gardens supply luxuries which lnve to ba paid dearly for In Aooklsod la some may be seen potatoes m ail stages of growth, and m a few years all will have a supply of fruit. They have vegetables all through the year, and generally speaking are as contented as they ought to bo. A good ■' many have cows and horses. Oce of ns a team of bullocks and a dray, which is fully employed m carting, and m the face ! of the fact that the p/esent Government broke faith with them by not giving any 1 road work since the beginning of summer. Tbe land they are on was open for selection for years, but would not be taken up, and it sorely due to the faot of their families having been put on tbe ground free of cost that such a successful settlement exists here. I trust that all who are laboring for the revbpsl of the system will keep the mo principal faotors of success m view. First : Place every family with a limited amount of luggage, all tools, and as much provisions as they can get, on the land 1 free of cost. Second : Let each family for at least two years have as muoh road work as will keep (hem m groceries and flour ; but let the road work be In making roads from the main county road to the settlement. Let them be well done if only eight feet wide, aad there will be no fear for the future. But it Is useless making roads m the settlement until good roads are made to it. It is a pity that party feeling should "have put a stop to tbe only feasible scheme of settlement ever devised m New Zmland. No doubt there were mistakes made, but they could easjly be remedied. But there wore fewer mistakes made than I ever knew m aoy Government uobeme, either land pur* ohase, railways, Civil Service, or anything else, although I have lived m New Zealand over twenty-five years."