Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, OCT. 2, 1902. The Motoa Estate.

Manawatu Herald, 2 October 1902, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, OCT. 2, 1902. The Motoa Estate.

We very much regret that the ActingPremier has introduced, only a day or two before the Session closes, a Bill to enable the Assets Realisation Board, to do whatever they please with the Motoa Estate. All property now being administered by the Assets Board is semi-public property and the history of the Motoa Estate has frequently been brought before the public. The privileges sought by the Bill may sound to those who do not understand the surroundings, innocent enough, but the powers which the Bill proposes t bring into play, will bear a totally different aspect. The public have for years sought to have this estate subdivided and so ! d, but some power bebina the throne, hat continually frustrated every effort

to get the land out of the g? asp of the Board. It is not of any use now to go into this history,'but instead of getting a larger population settled in our midst, if this Bill becomes law, wa shall probably lose the few settlers who are now living along the bank of the Mauawrtu river by Moutoa. We well know chat the Assets Board would very much like to have all land at present owned by private pa-ee.s between the estate and the riv..-, and years ago every bit of land wn. bought which could he. Those who did not sell* where men who have occupied their holdings for the last thirty years and purpose, if possible, to hold them to the end of their days Knowing the configuration of the estate so wall, it is impossible, we say, io do embankment work to advantage without occupying choice parts of these settlers’ holdings. The Bill suggests provision for compensation, but what compensation will repay a man from practically being turned out of his hearth and boms. We admit that We have not seen the Bill, neither has anyone in the district affected by its provisions. Does it not seem peculiar, to say the least of it, that such a Bill, dealing with enormous interests, should be rushed through a House within a few hours of the close of tha Session and a few weeks of its political extinction ? A Bill giving the power proposed should have been publicly notified and copies sent to tha public bodies. It may be fair to suppose that the Manager of the Board desires to improve the property under his charge, and by the scheme he proposes, may do ao, but what the public and his neighbours desire to know is whether he will improve or spoil adjoining properties? He secures power to protect Motoa from { ‘ erosion and damage by the Manawatu riv. r,” but in doing this will not harm be done to others ? Is the claim for compensation simply for land abutting on the estate or will it apply to land across the river ? If , the latter, the Assets Board raay.have a larger bill to pay than is thought. It is well-known that a syndicate is laying out a large sum of money in draining the Makerua swamp on the opposite side of the Manawatu river to the Motoa estate. If the Assets B ard embank their side of the river the effect will be to put, and keep, mote water on the Makerua side than formerly, depreciating the value of this land immensely. The Makerua swamp contains some 13,000 acres of laud whilst the Motoa swamp contains less than 7000 acres, but the Beard by prompt action secures a Bill in parliament giving them powers of destruction without those liable to be. hurt having an opportunity of protesting. This is a glaring example of the evils arising from rash and hasty legislation.

To have let the Board wait for these extended powers until another Session would have done them no harm, as they have bad plenty of time to bring in a Bill at the commencement of the Session had miCh been their wish. The Bill was held back to the last minute to save opposition being made, We fear the Government have been misled into tho idea that the-.' are doing the district a go >d turn, which ultimately

they ■will find is not so, but the reverse. The Assets B mrd to-day are in a better position with regard to Motoa than they have ever bean, and did the Toned sell the land they would receive twice as much, and even more, than the sums set down against it. '(’he settlers want the land sold, the taxpayers also want the Board to realise upon the estate they have been appointed to dispose of, yet not one effort will the Board make to carry oat its functions. As the estate ‘Stands tb-day it could be sold for one hundred per cunt profit! This should be better than sanctioning a large outlay, the result of which cannot actually be determined to the estate, but which the damage is very easily determined for those who own land on the opposite banka of the river. The suddenness of the introduction prevents what would have occurred had proper notice been given, then public meetings at Foxton and Shannon would have been held and public feeling aroused against power harmful to a large district being given to simply improve (if it will) a few thousand of acres of a Board’s property. We feel our protest is too late, but it has been made at the first opportunity, and for the barm the powers obtained do, the Government, the Board, and all consenting to its becoming law, will be held answerable.