PROPOSED ANNEXATION OF POVERTY BAY TO HAWKE’S BAY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 378, 21 May 1866, Page 3

PROPOSED ANNEXATION OF POVERTY BAY TO HAWKE’S BAY.

[To the Editor of the Hawke's Bay Times.J Sir, — The ‘New Zealander’ says :—“Auckland can have no difficulty in proving that the uiammoment of confiscated land is, for the interest of New Zealand, safer in their hands than in those of the little oligarchy,” &c. Now, your contemporary has made a great mistake there, for when it comes to the point, Auckland will have verygreat difficulty in proving such ; in fact, it is my belief that they cannot prove it at all. From 1858 to 1864, our population has increased at a greater ratio than even Auckland itself. have been good, with scarcely an unemployed man in the province. We have no Provincial loans. Our exports have been increasing, and will still progressively increase; and yet the Aucklanders pretend that wc do not know anything about colonisation! The fact is, Hawke’s Bay has begun at the beginning, and laid a sound foundation of wealth with its sheep ; while our Northern brethren have, with their settlements, often began in the middle, and so made a muddle of it. They spend their money in importing more labor than they can employ ; and then if the unemployed find out that plenty of beef and mutton, with increasing wool money, has made Hawke’s Bay a better place for them than Auckland, they grow], and say we have made a swoop! Why, they ought to bo thankful for any move in the direction of averting a poor rate. Our Provincial Government has undoubtedly made a grievous blunder in selling too cheaply the waste lands of the Crown; yet the encouragement of runholding —instead of wholesale indiscriminate immigration —for the last eight years has put this Province in a far better position with regard to future increase of population. The want of Napier, without doubt, is men. But we want working men, and when such do come to take up their abode amongst us, we try and get work for them, for we have no ambition wha.ever to fill the place with the unemployed; and by so doing place our Selves in as bad, if not a worse, position than the Province of Auckland is in at present. Did "any person ever hear such a rotten remark as this ;—“ The question to he determined in re Hawke’s Bay versa-? Auckland is, whether sheep or men should be placed on confiscated lands.” What sort of men are they, I wonder, who want legislation to keep sheep away. Auckland can have very little confidence in the energy of its own settlers, or the men they import, if they think that sheep can keep them oil’ the land. I say, if sheep can keep working men off the land, it is quite evident that they (the sheep) have tha best right to be there. What is the use of a farm settlement unless it is in the hands of farmers,? and how can they farm without capital? Why, the idea of making a thriving agricultural settlement by giving the land to any one who likes to taKa it, or by military settlement, without money or education, —is so monstrous that really i think Auckland will have a great deal of trouble in proving the position. Now, if Poverty Bay were leased or let in runs Hawke’s Bay could soon stock it, and a fonndation of wealth would be laid. Let the price of the freehold (especially agricultural) land be limb, enough to shut out the land speculator, who is tha parasite of tne working man. Government would be in a great measure the speculator. It would not be in a hurry to sell; as it sold it would have plenty of money to spend in public ■works. As population is drawn there by labor ta be done. Hie man who can earn his laud will be found to know what to do with it afterwards. As the place progresses, sheep will give place to men, without its being settled in re.

In conclusion. Sir, I think the ‘New Zealander’ rnust be very well aware that the right is on our side in this case, and we are very likely to win it. A ucklancl Province has a dozen or more members opoosed to only two here, and yet she says: “ The position of parties is critical.”—l am, &e., A WORKING- MAN. Napier, 16th May, 1866.