The Manawatu Standard. PUBLISHED DAILY.) Suivant la verite. TUESDAY, APRIL 17. 1883. GOVERNMENT PROMISES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 110, 17 April 1883, Page 2

Manawatu Standard. PUBLISHED DAILY.) Suivant la verite. TUESDAY, APRIL 17. 1883. GOVERNMENT PRO MISES.

The township ot Opunake, between Wanganui and Now Plymouth, is one of those that is generally believed " has a future before it," Jts harbour is said to be capable of great improvement at a moderate cost, and tbe land around it is of excellent quality, and extends for many miles inland. The residents of Opunake complain that tbe Government have not dealt fairly with them. The local correspondent of the Taranaki Herald thus explains how matters stand : — " The survey o s who have been cutting the hapu sub divisions ia the Opunake, Parihakaj and Stony .River blocks are now nearly finished, and are under orders to go to other districts. The land is ready for sub-division, or will be as soon as the Crown grants are issued. But things drag slowly ; there are no sis;ns of the land being subdivided into leasing areas ; and those | who sbowed their faith m Ministerial promises, and expended large sums ot' money m the hope of tbe country being eetiled, have good cause to regret their misplaced confidence. That Government should have sold this township, and pocketed £10,000 by the transaction, without making any endeavour to keep faith with the buyers, is a scandalous transaction," Although at. a distance from Manawata, the growth and progress ot Opunake is a question of interest to this district. If Opunake aud the adjacent districts flourish, the timber market will rapidly extend- m that direction. J?or some reason or other the selectors m that locality have been disappointed time after time, and tbe land remains locked up. Manawatu must look for years to come for an out* let for its timber, and Opunake should be regarded as one of the mosc promising outside markets.. The facilities for shipping are exceptionally good, and as time goes on, the interests of Opunake and Manawatu should rapidly become more closely united by the claims of mutual advantage and the benefits of reciprocal commercial undertakings. The Opunake people should agitat •• vigorously m demanding the prompt fulfilment of the obligations entered into by the Government, with regard to the opening up of tbe adjacent countiy for the purposes of legitimate settlement, and which, it is asserted, have not been carried out. In the light stated we consider the question one of local interest and primary importance.