SPECIAL FOREST SETTLEMENTS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 37, 12 February 1874, Page 2

SPECIAL FOREST SETTLEMENTS.

The following is a copy of a letter which has been addressed by the Hon the Minister for Immigration to his Honor the Superintendent of Wellington: — Immigration Office, Wellington, 2nd Feb., 1874. j Sir, — In accordance with my verbal promise to your Honor, I now send you copy of a memorandum concerning a special settlement proposed to be established in Weßtland. The memorandum gives the bare outline of the plan discussed between the Superintendent of Westland and myself. Ae I understand your Honor seriously contemplates tbe establishment of special settlements, I will add a (ew words in addition to the memorandum, as in its present state it is, as I have said, a mere outline. I think it very desirable that in parts of the country thinly settled, or in wbich the settlement is practically not to any extent commenced, encouragement should be given to settlement in a concentrated form by tbe establishment of special settlements. Supposing immigrants to mainly constitute these settlements, lam of opinion that the Immigration Department is justified in rendering assistance. The vote taken for immigration is for " location " as well as for "introduction;" besides that there are various provisions in the Public Works and Immigration Acts which evidence tbe apptoval of Parliament of what has always^ been regarded by me as a part of the*- Immigration and Public Works policy — the promotion of settlement. That special settlements, with the exception of the Scandinavian and Colonel Fielding's, have not been more actively promoted, is to be attributed to the very great demand in the settled districts for the immigrants who have already arrived. The time will shortly come when employment may not be bo immediately and so generaUy available to newly arrived immigrants and it will be important to have special settlements in course of formation ready at once to receive them. Families of immigrants will for many reasons be most suitable for special settlements, and these will precisely be the immigrants who will first feel any slackness in the labor market. Without, therefore, laying down any rule against specially recruiting in the United Kingdom for immigrants for the purposeof the settlements, I am inclined to think that very desirable settlers may with advantage to all concerned be obtained by allowing immigrants who arrive in all parts of tbe Colony to volunteer for such settlements should they wish to do so after perusing the regulations and conditions on which they are founded. A great advantage gained by this course will be that it will avoid the risk of the settlements in their earlier stages being overcrowded. I am of opinion that the first success of a new settlement will much depend upon its preparedness to meet the purpose for which it is designed. By sending a few settlers to prepare in anticipation for others, and to make these additions pave the way to further additions, is to adopt a plan most likely to satisfy the settlers in the early days of their adventure. The success of special settlements will very much depend on there being some means of employment open to tbe settlers during the first two years. If such employment be available tbere is no reason why the settlers should not pay at convenient perils a fair value for the land they ar^o acquire. In recognitiouJjF these principles I shall not be averse to considering plans for special settlements in which it will be necessary to advance some money for tbe employment of the settlers on useful works, to be recouped out of receipts from the settlement to be secured to the department. The formation of roads obviously suggests itself as the description of work on which the, settlers might be employed, and the sale of the land as the source of recoupment of the advances, but I do not expressly name these, because I am in hopes that some effort will be made to establish Forest Settlements in which the settlers would have employment olfered to them to utilise the ' timber, the returns from which would serve as a means of repayment for advances, in addition, if necessary, to receipts from the land when cleared. . The plan discussed with the Superintendent of Weßtland, of which the memo herewith forwarded is an outline, contemplated a combination of an ordinary'Bpecial settlement with a Folrest Settlement. I adopt the phrase as a convenient one. I ask your Honor's consideration for a settlement of this mixed character, or for one in. which the chief object will be that of putting to a profitable use the timber. Amongst the lands available for special settlement in this province are traots of splendid forest. Tour Honor is aware that to the ordinary occupier of smail means settlement on such land means the destruction as rapidly as possibly of the timber which covers it. In fact, small occupiers cannot derive from the timber the great value it possesses. From an. economical point of view, the destruction and the reckless use of the forests of the country do not probably entail so much loss as the improper treatment of the timber. Without dwelling on tbe question of tbe .suitable tinie to cut down timber or the r best means of seasoning, ,it, I presume it will not be questioned that

the intrinsic value of unseasoned wood, such as is now commonly used, is infinitely less than tbat of timber which hi s been subjected to a proper mode of treatment. At^ present only green timber can bo generally procurred, and so there is a market for it; but were provision made for timber in a more fitting condition, it would command the favor of the market, and establish for New Zealand wood the reputation which it is believed to deserve, but of which tbo mode in which it is dealt with bas to some extent deprived it. The object of a Forest Settlement would be of a two-fold character — first, to prevent the forests from wanton destruction ; second, to prevent the trees from beiDg cut down improperly or being prematurely sawn up. If I am correctly informed, in the State forests of several European countries the Government solely cut down the trees and sell the logs to the sawmill owners. I throw out for your Honor's consideration the question of whether a Forest Settlement might not be established on some such basis as the following :— We will suppose the locality selected is one towards which a railway is approaching to connect it witb a port of shipment or the centre of a large population. a. During tho proper season, trees appointed by a competent overseer to be cut down. b. At other times a road or tramway through the forest to be constructed, and the logs slacked or placed so as to make them convenient for subsequent use, and in the meantime to run as littlo danger as possible from fire. When a sufficient number of logs are in a condition to be cut, and the road usable, logs to be sold either for transport in their then condition, or, which would be much preferable, for treatment in saw mills established on sites in the forest, cleared for the purpose, and offered with the condition of purchasing at a stated price the logs belonging to the Government, and with a rigorous prohibition against cutting down by tbe occupiers themselves. c. Land not to be sold or disposed of until cleared of timber, but it might be agreed with the settlers, who would ih the meantime have received good employment, that a portion of their earnings should be expended in the purchase of cleared land. d. Co-operative saw mills and other I factories for working timber mightl under this plan be arranged. I I am of opinion that a settlement on I the basis I have sketched out would be successful from many points of view, but I am reedy to receive proposals for ordinary special settlements, or for settlements of a mixed character, such ss that under discussion with the Super- / intendent of Westland. / In an earlier part of this communion/ tion I bave advisedly used the phrasp " supposing immigrants to mainly cort stitute these settlements," because I foresee that it may be necessary thak they should not entirely constitute them. Of course, the Department considers the subject from the immigration point of view, and in tbat light it appears to roe that a small admixture of old colonists might be so to newly arrived immigrants that I would be justified, when it waß considered desirable there should be such admixture, to recognise it as a condition favorable to, and in the interests of, the immigrants composing the settlement. Your Honor, even if you do not agree with the views I have stated, will excuse my addressing. you at such length on the subject, and as I desiro to bring the matter under general consideration, I propose to publish this communication if your Honor does not object. — I have, &c, Julius Vogel. His Honor the Superintendent, WelUngton.