Small Farm Settlements

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 111, 5 March 1885, Page 2

Small Farm Settlements

The extremely doubtful character of some of the actions of the Wellington Land Board has been of late the subject of considerable adverse criticism on the part of Wairarapa . and West Coast papers. So far has the feeling of doubt and suspicion gone that it is openly said a request will be made for the members of the Kangitikei, Manawatu and Foxton electorates to demand that a commission be appointed by Parliament to enquire into the past transactions of the Board. Eef erring to its last act of folly, the Woodville Examiner says: — "The appointment of Mr Bunny as a valuer of the lands to be taken up in the Otamakapua Block by special settlements is a most iniquitous thing. Mr Bunny is the avowed opponent of special settlements, and has himself said that if these settlements can be stopped in no other way they can be so seriously interfered with, by putting a high price on the land, that the Associations may fall through. Now we should like to ask, is it fair that a man like Mr Bunny, with such strong prejudices to the new system of settlement, should be allowed to have anything to do with it ? and the Associations interested should protest against his appointment. We have an idea that Mr Bunny, in any case, might never visit the land, to value which he is appointed. He will go as near it as he can conveniently get, and when ho comes back he may base his valuation on hearsay information. We hope he will not do so, but he is too old to traverse rough unopened country, and it is at best a farce to send him there. If the valuation of these hinds is to be entrußted to the Land Board, we think that the members appointed should have beon among the more active members of the Board. If Messrs Bunny, Beetham and Mason persist in their opposition to these Small Farm Associations they will soon be reckoned among .the most unpopular men in Wellington. As for Mr Bunny we do not envy him the reputation he has earned by his action on the Land Board." For oureelvpß we have only one course to advise, and that is to call a meeting of the members of the Feilding Small Farm Association at once, and invite the member for the Manawatu — Mr Macartiutb. — to be present to hoar the views of the shareholders. Unless this is done at once the whole sohoiuf may be ruined as far as the . Wellington Province is concerned. '