The Motoa Estate.

Manawatu Herald, 3 October 1896, Page 2

The Motoa Estate.

I We nobioe that a good mtoy of our contemporaries are of the opinion thao the remarks made by M.c W. G Foster, before the Legislative Council's Banking Committee, ara of some value as* to the subdivision of the Motoa Estate. We are still of the opinion we have so frequently ex pressed, that the whole of that estate, with perhaps the exception of some 2000 acres, would do well for small farmers, providing the land was so arranged as to have dry land for homesteads. Mr Foster does not know the land for any time, at a distance he has viewed the larger part wholly under water, but it would : trouble him to give the water-line over the estate. One thing is clear, that Mr Foster is not anxious to | dispose of the estate at the Land ' Tax value, and in that he is right, bus it is not fair to misrepresent the position of the land aa to floods, as he has done. Though the Assets Company baa not owned the land for long, the land itself haa been there, and its many changes have been noted by settlers residing close to it. The Land Purchase Commissioners had very clear evidence produced before them when they visited Fox ton, that the majority ol settlers, who knew the Motoa Estate well, would be only too pleased to get a portion of it. This was cot the talk of what people said, but that of men who had for many years been employed in draining and fencing on the estate, and who possessed small holdings adjacent to it. As the Government refuse to do anything for the advancement of the district, we have to submit, but we shall always protest at the refusal being justified because a heavy flood happened to have occurred just prior to the visit j of the Commissioners. It is a fact, well known, that such a flood had only been known once previously, and experience has proved a slight embankment will mitigate the nuisance of any smaller floods. Some day we may get a Government that will really act in the way they talk and then some justice and attemiou may be paid to this district, but the signs of the times are that that day will not come until a change of Government takes place. We are very pleased to notice that the Manawatu Standard has properly grasped the position in the following remarks in a leader yesterday : — " N standing the evidence of Mr Foster, we feel convinced that had the : scheme for subdivision outlined by letter* wJjq h.ayo lived a gfiawttiuo

in tha locality been adopted and the estate purchased by Government, very much more successful settlement would have Wn secured than in regard to several estates already acquired by Government.

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