Special Settlements.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 53, 31 July 1885, Page 2

Special Settlements.

I Extraot from Manawatu Standard. March ;7, 1885.] , The appointment of Mr H. Bunny, ag one of the three who are to value tha lands applied for by the Special Settlement Associations in.thfc district is viewed with much disfavour. Rightly or wrongly Mr Bunny is credited with being hostile to Special Settlement Associations, and it ig believed that he will recommend a pror hibitive price, thus sounding the deathknell of the Associations, which we look upon as the most promising institutions • which have been called into existence durins' the present administration* To speak the simple truth, but few of the members of the Special Settlement Associations have any confidence m Mr Bunny As a body they mistrust him altogether, and feel assured that his official report will teqd to break up the Associations inaugurated under such promising ausptoea, It is oomm.Qnly reported that Mr Bunny is likely to. value the land, which the Associations were given, to understand would be obtaintable at about £1 per acre, at double or treble that amount. But will the Minister permit the Associations to be so dealt with ? "We hope and trust not. We believe m Mr Balance's sincerity m the case of land settlement, and congratulate him on the entire success achieved by the Associations which were mainly called into existence through his instrumentality. We look to ihim to fulfil his proimsea made^tq the Associations, and. prevent them from being embarrassed at the outset by any action calculated to render" their formation and origin Abortive,