HOW LAND CAN BE SETTLED.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2653, 18 August 1871, Page 2

HOW LAND CAN BE SETTLED.

(From the Nelson Colonist, Aug 4 .) Some time since a short notice appear d in our columns, mentioning the fact that a portion of country in the province of Maryborough, formerly occupied as a sheep run, had been divided into sections by the proprietors of the land, and sold to bona fide settlers, who, by a liberal arrangement, were placed in a position to secure the land by an agreement which was understood to benefit both parties, to settle what was practically, unoccupied country, and to give an example of how land might, without any government intervention, be disposed off at once, profitably to the seller, and also to the advantage of the purchaser, if he be a suitably and proper settler. As considerable interest was felt in an experiment of this kind, and seeing the name of Mr Fell referred to in connection with the property in question, and believing that further information on the subject would be productive of good in various ways, application was made to that gentleman, and the following letter is the result: — “Nelson, June 26, 1871. “Dear Sir. —In answer to enquiries in reference to a paragraph, headed ‘settling the country,’ copied into the Colonist of the 4th instant, front the Marlborough News, I have much pleasure in furnishing you with the following particulars : “The land refered to consists of twq blocks, containing about 1000 and 20SO acres respectively, lying on the south side of the town, and distant about six miles from either place, “ As a sheep run, the property had lately produced a most inadequate return for the amount of capital invested; and, accordingly, in June, 1870, 1 caused a fresh survey % to be made, dividing the laud according to the natural featuies of the country into small farms of from 25 to 150 acres each. Since that date I have sold about 800 acres of the smaller, and 750 acres of the larger block, at prices with which I am perfectly satisfied, to some ten or more purchasers, all young men, and chiefiy from this Province, tv ho came seeking land at a moderate rate on which to settle, down, and earn a livelihood for themselves and their families. A sufficient deposit has been paid in every case, and I have allowed the balance of the purchase money to re rain secured upon the land at a moderate rate of interest. “ Nearly the whole of the allotments sold are now fenced in, and ploughed, and a great portion is in crop, and six or seven houses have sprung up —all this upon land, the productiveness of which but one year ago was limited to the support of a scanty Hock of sheep,'whilst the return to me from sales already made is about 500 per cmt. more than the rent I had been lately receiving from the whole for grazing purposes. “ The experiment, therefore, is one with which I have ever y reason to believe both buyers and seller are perfectly satisfied, and appears to point to very evident conclusions. Upon these, however, it )ts not my province to enlarge j and I remain, “ Dear Sir you s faithfully, 4 ‘ Charles Y. Few..”

Mr Fell’s points the way through which, so far as regards lands already alienated, the work of settlement can he accomplished by the private owner, and without Government interposition. A little time will best test the experiment, which at present seems a promising one, and we hope to see it productive of great social advantage.