AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 923, 7 June 1854, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

Disastrous Fire at Kaipaka. — We regret having to report the occurrence of a calamitous fire at Kaipara, by which the large store of Hastings Atkins, Esq., has been cousumedj and property to a large amount completely destroyed. From the extended nature of Mr. Atkins* engagements in the important timber trade of the Kaipara district, and the consequent necessity of his having a considerable supply of goods and provisions' on hand, the store was one of the largest in the Province (nut of Auckland) and at the time of the accident contained not less than £2200 worth of property, the whole of which was consumed, with the exception of a few cases of tobacco. The cause of the fire has not been ascertained, but it is supposed to have arisen from the neg> • ligence of some person smoking either in the store or close by it ;* this catastrophe ought to be an additional warning to those who are addicted to smoking, or who are employers of smokers, to exercise double caution in the practice near wooden buildings, as one occurrence similar to this at Kuipara might involve a- whole street or a great portion of our city hi ruin. — New Zealander,. April 22. The Pensioner. Force. — The period of service for which some of the pensioner companies contracted, has now expired, or is about to e?p're, ami we learn that the Government is seeking to treat with them for the surrender of their cottages and highly cultivated acres, in exchange for fifty acres of bush land ! To our thinking, there is much in this contemplated arrangement of a character equally prejudicial to the prosperity of the pensioner, and detrimental to the best interests of the colony in which he has been induced to locate himself. For example : it must be a wretched cottage and a miserable acre that is not worth more than £25 ; we have heard of about four times that amount being obtained by private sale ; and if the pensioner should convert his holding into cash he will be enabled, according to Governor Grey's land regulations, to purchase either 50 acres of agricultural soil for £25 ; or 100 acrps of pasture land for the like sum. What boon — what premium — is therefore offered by Government to the pen-

"ioner to break up his little household, to brave the waste, and begin the world anew ? The movement is a mo X t unwise one, especially at ajunrta'P like this, when the pensioner labour and that of'their families, is almost the only labour upon iVhich the colonists can rely for cam-ins; on the operations of their farms. We imagine we can point out a method by which the pensioners and the colonists may be certain to be equally benefited. It is to grant ' them immediately SJO acres of land in fee simple ar> the Ji?'st instalment of an exchange, to such as may be willing to part with their cottages and feres ; — at the same time let them be put in possession (like retired military officers) of a location order for fifty acres more, — such additional land to be granted to them in perpetuity, on condition that they remain in the colony for a period of two years after the land has been allotted to them. Such a plan, we are of opinion, would not only be simple justice to the pensioners themselves, but would be the means of inducing many of them to remain, who, without some such tie, will be apt to take their departure, and leave our labour market in an infinitely worse condition than it even now is. We commend our suggestion to the most serious consideration of the authorities. — Southern Cross, lvTay 2.