A BARREN WASTE.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 163, 28 September 1881, Page 2

A BARREN WASTE.

It has often bsen asserted — by that class of people known as landsharks, and undoubtedly to suit their own ends — that there is little or no laod available for settlement, m the North Island of JSow Zealaud. The utter untruth fulness of the statement is well known, as iv our own district, we have sufficient land whereupon to locate fully, perhaps more than double ouv present population. But let us look outside the Manowatu, and view the vast area of paoccupied laml on the Eist Coast of th ; s Island. Between tne VVairoa River, aud the East Cape, Ties a district, f'ovniiag Cook and Wairoa Conn.ies, which comprises someibing like iwo million acres of laud, of great fediluy, aad posstssing natural advantages unsurpassed m the Colony. The soil is uot only rich, but well watered, and the climate is most genial; beside wiiich it h»s convenient;, and natural me-ms of access. By the map, we find along 1 be iea-board of tbis track of coontry no less than three natural harbors, of excellent character, viz., the Mabia, Gisborne, and Tologoa Bay ; beside four or five large rivers which find their outlets to the sea. In this large and promising distuct, there aie at present not more than five thousand Europeans residing, aud the greater portion of the laad unoccupied by these, is held by squatters. It does not appear at all probable that this deplorable state of affairs for the colony at large, will be altered until such times as some mateiial change is effected m the tenure of land , at all events the number of population, or landowners will not be increased until sucb change is made. That portion of the North Island alone, is rich enough to support almost the whole present population of the colony. This 1,300,000 acres of New Zealand soil, m every way fit to support, and eurich a numerous population, is now almost a barren waste. Some 500,000 acres a ie owned by Goveinmeut m different blocks, but are entirely^Jusaless because of the absence of either roads or bridges. The remainder upwards of 1,.? 00,000 acres, is held by Maoris, the greater part of which, has passed through ihe Native Lands Court, under an Act i of the Assembly, and is still held by the Natives, not under their old hereditary custom, 'out from, the Ciovvn. There is ytt another por;ion, though small, which is ie;»lly Native land, and of course held as such, but which could easily be put under the transfer process, and become at ouce accessible for settlement, without a heavy expenditure of public money, or toe granting of a monopoly. Now, it is certain, that there are m theeolony, vary large numbers of persons willing to take up good land on deferred payments, no matter where that land may be situated. Ji every town or district, hundreds could be found, to whom the obtaining of a piece of land, on which to work out a livelihood would be a boon. Plenty of strong, active young men there ai'e, sons of settlers, who, unable to procure a plot of laud iv the immediate vicinity of their homes, would be glad to avail themselves of the opportunity of seeming a freehold elsewhere. With the Native portion of this immense tract of country, there would certainly be «ome trouble, but what of that? It could eventually be brought ihe Native Lands Court, as other parts of the Block have been dealt with.