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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 31, 30 January 1862, Page 3

To the JEditor of the Hawke's Bay Times.

Sir, —In the Herald of the 25th instant, “ One of the Napier Boys” says—“ How Hindi agricultural land has ever come into the hands of the Provincial Government of Hawke’s Bay except Havelock, where certainly he cannot blame the Provincial authorities if there are no farms.” Why not blame them? The writer of the letter would do so too, if he were not one of the party, with the miller at its head, who are raising the small farm cry to obtain political capital, and who mentions this very memorable point in an off-hand way to soothe the public mind—to assure them that everything was done in proper manner. Oh ! how kind this, very ! But, sir, the people are not now so easily blinded by words instead of deeds. If the late Superintendent really wished to benefit the small farmer, he would and he could have kept the whole of the Havelock lands for them. The site is a good one, about 13 miles from Napier, water and land carnage available, close to a mill and a large bush containing excellent timber for building purposes, and where a commonage could be had on the hills by Te Mata ; but Mr. Thomas Fitzgerald sells these lands as town and suburban by portions of onethird at a time, which brought prices to prevent the working man from benefiting from it; for, sir, of what use is half an acre of town land, even if he can afford to purchase ten more acres, to the working man, without a commonage for his cow, &e. ? Then, sir, the settlement (on paper) of Hampden was formed without a grazing common, for his late Honor sold the only land which could be set apart for that purpose to one runholder. Let the small farmers be on their guard j their present leader and protector (?) is a doubtful party. They ought to bear in mind that he, as Superintendent, recommended leases of Crown Land for runs, which would cut out the small farmers for fourteen years, and who even advocated the fight of squatters who had actually broken the law. The

miller “ sleek and good,” with a nice party, who do not of course want any appointments, are playing a little game to get into power, and if they do, we may look forward to right royal” expenditure, " an empty treasury, and, as our only resource, re-annexa-tion to our step-mother Wellington. Pick and Spade, Napier, 28th February.