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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 22, 28 November 1861, Page 3

To the Editor of the Hawke's Bay Times. Sir, —ln your report of the proceedings at the late nomination, of Candidates for the representation of the Town of Napier in the Provincial Council, I observe Sir. Triphook has the following sentence standing in his address to the Electors—“ He would support the agricultural interest, as he believed such such a population to bo the main-stay of the Province. The former Superintendent had done fchat he could to introduce a si/stem of agriculture , but our present one had done nothing. The Tikokino reserve, after AT,500 spent upon it was still unoccupied, although families were known to be waiting for it.” I had heard something of this affair before, but while cogitating on the matter the Herald came to my assistance with the required information as to what the “ former Superintendent” did in the matter, why he stopped where he did, and why the “ present one” has done nothing more. This information, contained in about a column of matter in your contemporary, can be condensed into a short paragraph. An agricultural reserve being required, and Tikokino being considered an eligible site, the Superintendent resolved on

selecting and reserving it for this purpose ; but instead of doing this in a direct way, brought it into the market, and appeared as a ■.competitor with the public, at length securing ,the land at prices ranging from near one ihundred to three hundred per cent, over the 1 upset pirice, and as a whole, closely on cent, per cent advance, the upset price having been £939 10s., while the price paid on the part of the Province was £1,541. The difficulty, then, was whether he would be justified in alienating this land at the upset price, as it had cost the Province nearly double. Of course the same difficulty existed for the “ present” as for the “ former Superintendent,” if difficulty it was, for it seems to me that, as the land was the property of the Province before the sale, and bought for the Province at the sale, it matters but little what sums were paid for the various lots, as the money was only nominally used, the province having been in precisely the same position as regards land and funds after the sale as before, —the case being like that of a merchant who has bought all his own property at a mock auction sale— the goods were his before, and are so still ,- and beyond the expenses of the auction he is neither the better nor the worse for the transaction, whether he may have bought them in “ dirt cheap” or at an enormous increase on their value ; but the transaction may be made to appear in his books as so much business done—so many pounds worth of goods sold at auction, and so many pounds worth bought, and so this affair, doubtless, swelled the account of land revenue for the period during which it took place; but having to be placed on both sides of the ledger or balance sheet, might as well not have been on either, for whatever the appearance may be, it is quite evident that the land in question did not add £1,541 to the revenue, nor cost the Province that sum.

And now, may I ask, why did the “ former Superintendent” have this land put up to auction when it was not intended to sell it ? ■Was it merely as a guide as to the sums it was valued at by the public ? If so, this was no criterion, as any one who knew it would he bought in, could, without risk, bid to any extent to swell its apparent value, while one who might have been disposed to purchase in an open market, knowing that he would not be allowed tobuy then would see the uselessness of bidding at all. Lastly, was the Superintendent forced to act as he did V Could he not have reserved this land, had it surveyed, laid out in sections, and applied to its appropriate purpose V Of course I mean with the consent of the Council. I certainly can see no reason why not. I am. Sir, Yours, &c. Aouicola. Napier, Nov. 21, 18(31.