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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1108, 15 February 1872, Page 2

As tho West Coast of the Middle Island is very much dependant for its supplies of stock and produce upon the Wan* ganui District, in tho Wellington Province, it may not be out of place prominently to direct public attention to the land sale, which has been announced in our columns for the past few days. Although wo have been officially requested to do this, yet we do it the more readily in order to contrast the liberal condnct of the Wellington Provincial Government in this matter, with the "penny wiso and pound foolish " conduct of our own County Government,, When land sales- 1 are contemplated, 1 the utmost possible publicity ought to be given to. them, if the authorities have the true interests of their districts at heart., A few of the local Governments in the Colony might, in thiß matter, very advantageously take a leaf but of the Wellington book, and we feer assured they 1 : would thereby greatly add to their land re.

venue. The land sale ;to which we '-refer tajces place on the 26th. instant, and a large.portion of the land, to be thenjsold ,-is seated in the Manawatu Distrlpt, on the* west coast of the s'Wellington'•'Province. The lands situated in the Manawatu will doubtless prove most attractive to- pquntry settlers. These consist of town, suburban, and rural sections, to ithe- exteiji ; .of 21,8C0facres; in Foxton, ißaimerston/Fitaherbert, Carnarvon, and also in the Motoa and Kurere blocks. The sections vai/in s ; ze and upset price. The town sections of from a quarter to half an asres will be put up at from £\2 tq £15 each ; the suburban sections of from 1 to 50 acres, range from £6 to £50 ; while the rural sections, of from 50 to 250 acres, will bo offered at an average upset price of £1, an acre. Of the character, description, and 1 position of those lands, it may be useful to say a few words. The sections at Foxton, the shipping port of the Manawotu, are open land, the- soil being of a light quality, which, however, improves in those situated some little distance from the sea coast. The advantages possessed by sections in this district consist in their close proximity to the mouth of the river and the facilities thereby afforded for the shipment of produce. Foxton certainly has a chance of flourishing, when the back country , of . the Manawatu district is opened up, and its produce is sent to the coast for export so that business sites in the shipping port must have a tendency to rise in value. Palmerston, situated 25 miles from the port, consists of about 1000 acres in extent, and surrounded by an extensive bush country, containing .some fine Totora and other valuable timbers. The soil in the open country is of a light kind, while that in the bush sections is described as of a veiy rich quality. The future prosperity of the Palmerston district will in a great measure depend upon its export of timber, and a large trade in this is certain to be created when the tramway now in course of formation to Foxton has been coastructed. Hitherto the Palmerston district has kept back and its resources left in a great measure undeveloped, through lack of. the means of transit; but this want will be adequately supplied by the tramway. The fact that large public works are being or about to be executed in various parts of the Province, and notably so in Manawatu district, will doubtless attract buyers to this land sale, and exert a favorable influence upon the prices. The members of "The Hutt Small Farm Associatian," we understand, will shortly proceed to occupy and cultivate their 5000 acre purchase, which contains some of the veiy finest land in the whole of the Kangitikei-Manawatu Block. Colonel Fielding's 100,000 acre block will in another year or so also become the home of that band of settlers who are to be sent out from Great Britian to this Province, under the auspices of a powerful colonising association ; while the stream of immigration to be set flowing by the General Government will, sooner or later, reach our shores.