THE HAWKE'S BAY TIMES. NAPIER, THURSDAY, SEPT. 12, 1861.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 11, 12 September 1861, Page 2

THE HAWKE'S BAY TIMES. NAPIER, THURSDAY, SEPT. 12, 1861.

One of the principal arguments brought forward by those who oppose the formation of new Provinces, and advocate the re-annexa-tion of such as are already separated, is founded on the assumption that small Provinces are unable to provide funds for the introduction of laboring emigrants,—to this effect was the tenor of several addresses made in the House of representatives during the recent debate on the question of the second reading of the “ New Provinces Amendment Act.” In the case of our own province, a considerable number of emigrants of this class were introduced at suine expense from the Province of Auckland about three years ago,'and though many of these have since ‘ left —at first in consequence of the almost total cessation of public works, and afterwards from the excitement consc-

quent on the gold discoveries in the middle island, it is probably not yet too late to retain many, if not most, of those who remain, and even to induce the return of others, by opening up some resources of the Province. We know how the evil of a dearth of labor has been felt by many neighboring settlements, and although, from the fact of the majority of the settlers in our outlying districts being engaged more in pastoral than agricultural pursuits, we are not likely to feel this evil so keenly as they have done, it must not be supposed that the time cannot come when we shall be anxious to bring again to our shores that class of persons who are now leaving. In some of the older Provinces, as at Nelson, it has been the policy of the Government to encourage settlers of this description, and their success has often been greater than could have been expected. The laborer has purchased a small freehold, brought it into cultivation, added his one or two cows and pigs, and become a small farmer ; his property has been the means of retaining himself and family in the district in which it has been situated, and he has risen to be a not unimportant member of the body politic. In this Province the case is different. The pastoral population have an interest in discouraging the introduction of the small capitalist and laborer into the Province, lost those lands which they hold as runs, and much of which is suited for such a class as we have described, should be taken up by the laborer before themselves can procure the means to secure them as freeholds. This may account, in some measure, for the lack of inducement held out to those who have left, or are about to leave, the Province. However, there is one way in which the present state of affairs may possibly be altered for the better, and, but for the reasons adduced, it might well excite wonder that it has been so long neglected. We allude to the timber standing in some of the fine bush lands of the Province, much of which is suitable fur building purposes, consisting, as it does, of totara and other useful kinds. It must not be supposed that we would advocate the making of roads to these bush lands for the sole purpose of cartingtimber to the town, as it is evident that in many cases after such roads were made, the cost of carriage on them would render the timber nearly, if not quite, as expensive as that which is imported ; but in one particular instance—the Pohui Push on the J\laugaone river—this carriage could be performed by water, if only the obstructions were removed from the bed of the stream, and which work could be performed at a comparatively trifling cost. During the last summer, several individuals were profitably employed in the above bush splitting fencing posts and rails from the totara trees there, many thousands of which were brought to town, and disposed of at remunerative prices, despite the difficulties of rafting; and those who are capable of forming an estimate of the probable expense of clearing the channel so as to admit of logs large enough for building purposes being rafted down to the town, believe that it would not exceed .£3OO or £4OO, provided, of course, it were judiciously expended. Neither would the work be of a temporary nature, as there are great quantities of such timber standing there—sufficient, indeed, to supply the Napier market for some years to come, and occupy the place of that now imported at an annual cost of not less than £O,OOO or £7,000, besides giving employment to 50 or 60 men, who would generally become small freeholders, and form, with their families, a body of settlers of that very class to which we have before alluded.

This subject should be prominently brought before the Provincial Council, and borne in mind by the electors generally at the forthcoming elections ; particularly as we cannot depend upon having further supplies of timber of large dimensions from Wellington, one of the firms in that city having written to the effect that no reasonable price would pay

for any exceeding the most ordinary building sizes.