The Motoa Estate.

Manawatu Herald, 4 June 1896, Page 2

The Motoa Estate.

On Tuesday at mid-day the Land Purchase Commissioners, consisting of Messrs J. MoKerrow, H. Baker the Commissioner of Crown Land* for the Wellington Provinoial District, E. Smith the Surveyor- Gen aral and W. Fitzherberfc, arrived in Foxton by way of Shannon and put up at Whyte's Hotel. The deputation from the Borough Council, of the Mayor and Mr Tbynne, waited upon the visitors and arranged a tour for the afternoon. After lunch the party, with the Mayor and Mr Thynne visited the Mayor's property and from a hill viewed the lurrounding swamp lands which have been held by settlers for over twenty-five years. The Commissioners would see that these owners had not been scared by the floods.

Tha party then rode up to the estate and went down the boundary of Mr MoPherson's property, and thus all that end of the estate was well inspected. The party then travelled up the road on Messrs Bowe and Whibley'a boundaries and up the boundary road to the round bush, when they turned into Mr Thynne's farm and viewed the estate from the big hill thereon. After partaking of a cup of afternoon tea the party returned to town. In the evening Mr Thynne introduced to the Commissioners Messrs Bowe, Whibley and Hughes a3 being Qcciipiers of small farms in the inimetliate neighbourhood of the es« tafce, and as men who had, from having carried out a good bit of drainage and fenoing on Motoa, knew as much about the adaptability of the estate'for small farms as anyone. The Commissioners expressed themselves much pleased with this opportunity and they oertainly fully availed them' selves of it, plying Ihem with questions. In a ooncrete form we may lay that Messrs Bowe., Whibley and Hughes expressed themselves very much in favour of the estate being subdivided and that it would pay any person to take such land up for dairying purposes. They showed what stock their land carried and 1 mads a statement of very great significance in support of the request to subdivide Motoa, that their three farms adjoined one another, and taking into consideration Mr Satherley's farm there could be said to be two hundred.acreß which were sup* porting fifty souls. A multiplication of acrtage unfolds a bright prospect for the future. The Commissioners inquired whether, in case the Qo» vernment bought the property did these settlers think the land could be leased, brought forth a distinct assertion in the affirmative, and names of settlers in the near naighbourhood were mentioned as having expressed a desire to obtain a portion of tha block. The Commissioner of Crown Lands noted the names. The question of extra roadaga, drainage, &c, was gone into to ascertain which it was thought would be most satis* factory, for the Government to do the work and charge cost on the rent, or to leave it for individual settlers to do. It was said that it would be most convenient if the for-. mer method waa adopted. The Commissioner of Crown Lands desired to know if this question of cost was understood, when the settlers smiled and said they knew too well the imposition of rates, but they had been able to meet the demands.

The interview was ended by the expression of mutual thanks and we have the impression that this interview was of very much value.

Yesterday the Commissioners accompanied by the Mayor and Mr Langdon, the manager of the estate, had a preliminary look around Fernhill, the dry country opposite the homestead. (Mr Thynne having to attend the Licensing Committee at Otaki was unavoidably absent). From the Homestead the party rode down Langley's drain to the river and thence up the bank to Mr Robert Gardner I*,1 *, where the party were moat hospitably entertained at lunch. They then went up the Kari-Kari drain to Lean's drain, and then went up that drain, then returned and rode up the rest of the Kari-Kari and then home to Foxton. It will thus be seen that the estate has been most thoroughly viewed, and we can only hope for the best. Three CommisRioners left by Mr Stanaell's coach tbia morning.