Wellington Manawatu Railway Company.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 67, 21 February 1885, Page 2

Wellington Manawatu Railway Company.

THE FIRST LAND SALE.

[Wellington paper] . The first auction land sale of the allocated lands of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company took place on Thursday, at the Athenaeum Hall. There was a very large attendance, both of country settlers and town residents. The land submitted under the hammer consisted of about 18,000 acres m the Fitzherbert district and the township of Lin-, ton. Although great interest appeared to be taken m the sale, the bidding was exceedingly quiet, and very little business was done. The sale only realised a little over £2000. Considerable disappointment must have been felt by both the directors of the company and the auctioneer at the unsatisfactory result of the sale. The reasons for this result, as •expressed by a number of Fitzherbert residents, were these : In the first place, the terms of the sale were practically cash, and m this respect the company had not taken example, from the large land companies m the South Island, who were glad to give ten years' terms at a low rate of interest to purchasers. The present cry for special settlements is also inducing the Government to sell land for such Settlements at £1 per acre, and giving the members of the settlements ten years' time m which to pay for their selections. In the second place, it is said that the upset prices for both the country lands and the townships were fixed on a basis for a cash sale that was by no means attractive to those who merely desired to speculate. No doubt there is some truth m these views, as was evidenced by the want of competition. A number of inquiries were, however, made after the sale m reference to the sections which were passed m. It is understood that, the company is likely to make such concessions to bona fide settlers as will enable them to dispose: of the majority *of the sections. The importance of this city — indeed, to the whole district — of the early settlement and improvement of the vast areas of land belonging to the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company cannot be over estimated, and it is to be hoped that before long every acre will have passed into the hands to practical farmers. The following are the particulars of the sale : — Fitzherbert Block.— Section 324, 276a. 2r., at 35s per acre, , Mr Coombs, Fitzherbert, £483 17s 6d ; section 335, 307a., at 80s per acre, Mr Coombs, Fitzherbert, £537 ss ; section 294, 210a., at 22s 6d per acre, Mr Walker, Fitzherbert, £236 ss ; section 303, 240a., at 22s 6d per acre, Mr Walker, Fitzherbert, £270 ; section 1, 112a., 3r., 23p., at 40s per acre, Mr Palmerson, Palmerston, £225 10s. Township of Linton.— Allotment No. 42, W. Booth, Carterton, £20 ; No. 43, G. Leslie, Wellington, £16 ; No. 70, J. H. Morgan, Martinborough, £15 10s; No. 138, W. Booth, Carterton, £20 ; No. 79,. W.. Booth, Carterton, £15 ; No. 142, C. Whitehead, Palmerston North, £15 ; No. 143, W.- Booth, Carterton, £50 ; No. 149, W, Lancaster, Karori, £15; No. 151, D. G. Partridge, Mungaroa, £14 ; No. 202, J. H. Pitf, Wellington, £25 ; No. 22J, John Plimmer, Wellington, £25 ; No, 222, P. Shields, Wellington, £14 ; No. 232, D. G-. Partridge, Mungaroa, £7 10s; No. 141, John Plimmer, Wellington, £50. The total amount realised was £2054 17s Od..