Ashurst Notes

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 144, 28 May 1891, Page 2

Ashurst Notes

I OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT."] The separate returns shown in your , paper last week were very acceptable, as by them we could see the solid progress that has been made in. our part .of the.' Manchester Block during the last s*years. The census of 1886 gave our population * as 1017, but now, in 1891, we show a return of 1904, of an increase of 887. With the exception of Halcombe, the population of the Manchester Block is decidedly increasing. ,This compares very favorably 'with the state of the colony as a whole. Many South Island farmers are coming ' north, attracted by our ever-green grass. "We know that' in all human probability^ ' the future of the bush districts is one of assured prosperity, mainly -because of the frozen meat trade, which is assuming larger proportions each year. • The introduction of the three years without payment of rent, has also had a marked effect in settling, the block; those settlers who availed themselves ofthe good opportunity > thus given to - start a farm have done a very good thing for themselves, . for I am informed that some, if they chose, could now sell at a considerable profit. It is a,( policy which' could very iwell be adopted by the colony at large. It is evident that . some such liberal measure is required to induce jpeople to remain in the country, instead of the shifting policy which.makeV a law one session and tries to undo it the next. How can it be expected that those who have capital to invest will do so in a country where there appears to be no certainty as to what to-morrow. may bring forth ? The Americans owe the . rapid settlement of their grand country principally to their liberal land laws, even to their giving 160 acres of freehold land to bona fide settlers ; so they do in Canada. Whereas, our own New Zealand settlers, at least those without money, are being treated by tbe present Ministry as a lot of speculators not fit to be trusted with the freehold of land. I tell you what, sir, Ministers are not fit to be trusted with thesettlement of the counDry -if they cannot see that a farmer should be encouraged above. all people, if he is willing to bring unprofitable land into cultivation at the cost of the best years of his life. "What in the world -they want to alter a policy for, under which so much improvement and settlement, has been done in the five years from 1886 to 1891, I can't think, unless it be that they must throw a sop to the Cerberus of their election" promises, for we know whose policy ia the withdrawal of the freehold; - ,- There was a large number of sportsmen here on -Monday last, -who came' to the Poharigina district for sport, but I am told they had very little. Game of all sorts is very scarce this year.