BAY OF PLENTY TIMES. “The spirit of the times shall teach me speed.” KING JOHN, ACT IV. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1873.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume I, Issue 67, 23 April 1873, Page 2

BAY OF PLENTY TIMES. “The spirit of the times shall teach me speed.” KING JOHN, ACT IV. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1873.

WE Publish the following letter, *hich Captain Skeer has received from the Honorable the Native Minister, in answer to the Memorial forwarded relative to Immigration and the Waste Land. ±rom it we perceive it is really the intention of the Government to locate •d to 300 immigrants at Tauranjya op -bay of Plenty districts Kow soon these immigrants may arrive, it is impossible to say ; but it is at any rate satisfactory to learn that "instructions have been forwarded to the Agent-General upon the subject." That portion of the letter referring to land on deferred payments is cautiously written ; but as an office is to* be opened m Tauranga for the sale and letting of confiscated lands, it is evident some system will be pursued wherebv the same can be obtained without actual present purchase. So far something is gamed, and we trust the step taken will be the means of preventing a great deal ot circumlocution and disappointment to intending settlers. We abstain from any turther comment till the scheme of the Government is publicly declared:— C> Kative Office, • q,v t t. Wellington, April 12, 1873. " oir,—l bave the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 24fch ultimo, in refereaee to the location of immigrants and the disposal of confiscated lands on deferred payments, in the Bay of Plenty. As regards the location of immigrants the C*overnmeat propose to locate from 250 to 300 in the Tauranga or Bay of Plenty district, and instructions hare been forwarded to the AgentGeneral on the subject. The principles to be applied in dealing with the confiscated land require the greatest care and consideration, and it ia not deemed to be advisable to make any hasty change in the system already in operation for the sale and disposal of such It V Ufc *" ee * in g fche necessity for a change in the administration of that portion of them situated m the Bay of Plenty, I have given instructions to have plans and information connected with the lands prepared and deposited at Tauranga, where an officD for letting and selling such land will be opened and the fullest information supplied to the public. I bave the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, _ DoyAJLD McLsAJf. "~ i±. Ij. Skeet, Esq., Tauranga. /\

WiifTEs is coming on apace. "With it the usual amount of bad weather may be expected, and it will, therefore, cot be amiss to make a few remarks upon que harbour. Between Auckland and Wellington there is no other place where vessels can obtain shelter in all weather, and_ even in "Wellington and Auckland, during the prevalence of certain winds, vessels have frequently dragged their anchors and suffered severely; whereas in Tauranga, if a vessel be once anchored, it is perfectly safe. It is no -uncommon thing to see our harbour used as a place of refuge, whilst the increasing trade to this port, and the frequent arrival of Southern steamers renders it necessary that every possible assistance should be given to "the masters of those vessels having passengers or cargo to discharge

at the wharf. A. few years ago a pilot was located at Tauranga, whoso duty it was, besides piloting the various vessels visiting the port, to keep in good order and repair the buoys and other marks put down for the guidance of navigators. With what we consider a short-sighted nolicv, it was thought unnecessary longer to keep up a pilot station here, thus publicly advertising an opinion that Tauranga was going down hill. Since that time the buoys have been gradually getting into almost an useless state, and if we have not been misinformed one has entirely disappeared, whilst another has somewhat shifted from its original position. At all events, it is no uncommon thing for a vessel to get aground both in coming up to tfae wharf and going away ; and when we know these vessels are commanded by gentlemen noted for their carefulness and local knowledge of the various New Zealand ports, it is but fair to surmise that any such accident arises either from alteration of channel or shifting of guiding marks. If the former were the cause, or even the latter, neither could have existed had there been a pilot constantly on the spot, for it would have been his duty to watch any change, and, if necessary, to make any alteration in the position of the buoys. That our harbour requires some looking after at the _ present time no one can deny, and we wish to call the serious attention of the Government to the fact, as it affects not only our present trade but the future. Some time ago we were told Tauranga was to he declared a port of entry as well as Poverty Bay, Now, we do not begrudge Poverty Bay anything it may obtain that is likely to forward its interests, and we heartily wish our sister Bay “ God speedbut we have one immense advantage that district does not possess—a safe and commodious harbour. If the authorities do not deem it advisable to give us a pilot, we trust that, as they have vessels at their disposal, they will take the necessary steps to distinctly mark out the channel up to the town, or , it might be done (of course, for a due consideration) by the master of one or other of our local coasters, than whom none know better what is required. Should our suggestion be carried out, and proper sailing directions duly advertised in the Government “ Gazette,” we feel sure much anxiety would be removed from the minds of masters of vessels, and a stimulus given to that trade which, with an expected increase of population we may naturally expect to see greatly enlarged.