OUR TARANAKI LETTER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4454, 29 June 1875, Page 3

OUR TARANAKI LETTER.

(from obb own coebespondent.) New Plymouth, June 18. Seventeen and a half statute-adults, lately arrived at Nelson in the Hannibal, for New Plymouth. They are said to be of Mr. Burton's selection—that is of the agent sent to England specially to look after the interests of this province,: which appoarecl.to have been entirely overlooked by such agents as had been appointed up to the time of Mr. Burton's arrival in England. The immigrants per Hannibal were transferred to the Ladybird and brought on to this port on Wednesday, and unfortunately had to be> carried on to Auckland, on account of bad weather, to the chagrin of all concerned. The Ladybird was tendered for the mails, and to make the difficult work as easy as possible, her obliging captain (Andrews) stood well in shore. Two or three passengers, residents of the place, who, having no fear about the landing, because used to the surf boats, came ashore, as well as one single man immigrant, who dropped himself into the boat, against orders, and it was too rough for it to be worth the trouble of putting him back again. The Hibernicon, which was announced tp show here, went on. The Phoebe from the North on Thursday was only tendered for mails and passengers. In January last, the Avalanche called here on her way to Wellington, and landed nearly 250 immigrants, the bulk of whom were English agricultural laborers. The event created a sensation, and the beach was lined with sightseers from early morn till evening. The sight of a vessel of the Avalanche's size was a curiosity to many of the native-born inhabitants, and though a windy day there were plenty of visitors from the shore to the vessel. The captain expressed himself highly pleased with the attention shown, and the quick despatch of his living freight. Since that time there has been no direct shipment. The general public were under the impression that other ships would quickly follow with immigrants direct from Home, as the season of the year was favorable and likely to be so for another three months. The favorable report of Captain Bishop, together with, the pound per head for all immigrants brought direct, was expected to be sufficient to remove the prejudice to the port till at all events winterset in. It is now June, and no other direct shipment has yet arrived, and except a hundred or so of Germans sent up from Wellington, with a few English familieTat odd times, the additions to the population since then have been small. Caution appears to be the predominant characteristic of all who are in authority here. A letter lately received from Mr. Burton, who has been enlisted on the Agent-General's staff, but who is still allowed to devote his attention chiefly to the wants of New Plymouth, said that according-to the expressed"wishes of the local immigration agent here, ho had deferred sending immigrants, for the reason stated —that is, "the undesirability of many arriving in the winter." On account of the impatience manifested at non-arrival of immigrants, the agent here had, previously to the receipt of letter quoted, tried to put a different complexion on the matter, by stating in print that he hod urged on Mr. Burton the desirability of sending regular shipments. Considerably too much caution appears to have been exercised,_ or the instructions sent may have been too literally interpreted, for seven clear months will have elapsed between the arrival of the Avalanche and the arrival of the Halcione—supposing she makes an ordinary passage—which is the next ship laid on for New Plymouth direct, and is expected in August. Thus, whilst other provinces have been receiving shipload after shipload of immigrants, Taranaki has only received a few stragglers, although many have been wanted and could have found ready employment. Both private and public works have been dragging slowly along for want of labor, and the general public have latterly been growing impatient and anxious for some more active efforts to be mado to meet requirements. The Messrs. Brogden, who are all behindhand with their little strip of a railway, have had to bring men from Auckland and Wellington to enable them to push along with the work. Just about the time patience was thoroughly exhausted, the Home agent wrote to the authorities to say that he had beenverysuccessful in securing a number of first-class Lincolnshire agri-cultm-al laborers, and had mado arrangements for their immediate despatch direct. A hearty welcome was given to the arrivals per Waikato (which was the first batch of f immigrants the province received), in the shape

of a tea and public meeting ; and now that there seems to be even a remote prospect of another start being made, another welcome is mooted, and will likely be carried out. Surveys. and bush road cutting and forming is in a backward state for the want of labor. The extreme caution of the authorities and apparent want of faith in the future prevents them from looking beyond the most immediate requirements of the day. There is a want of dash and confidence and Vogelian-like go, which only new blood will create. In the matter of money the authorities are extremely cautious. Of the £20,000 authorised to be expended by the General Government, only £BOOO has yet been spent. It is being saved till immigrants shall arrive. In most other provinces arrangements are promptly made for the spending of money advanced as a means of attracting population. T'other way about here. The Superintendent in his opening speech to the Council on Monday mentioned that the sum of £32,000 was allotted in ISSB as Taranaki's proportion of the £IBO,OOO granted to the North Island under the Public Debts Apportionment Act, of which up to the present time only £4OOO has been expended for the purpose for which it was granted, viz., the acquisition of native lauds. A sum of £2200, interest on £32,000, was agreed to be paid yearly to the province by the General Government in lieu of a land fund. The natives at that time, and until lately, have been indisposed to sell land, consequently the land could not be bought, and the greatest part of the money remains unexpended. The General Government is now said to have stopped paying the interest, and by publishing this account with some others, are showing a disposition to fleece the province of its just dues. A mild protest will probable be entered. against the action of the General Government, after which the matter will be allowed to slide while the money is being spent to satisfy the greed of other more noisy and wide-awake provincial authorities. Wellington papers appear to have been making fun of our jubilancy at the advent of a Colonel Trimble in the province. It may appear a paltry matter in a province with a population of over 30,000 like Wellington, with plenty of wealthy and able men in its chief city, that the doings of a private gentleman should be publicly talked about; but when it is recollected that Taranaki has only just turned its 6000 of population, and has but few wealthy men, and none too much brain power, a show of gratification and gossip about the matter may be pardoned. We want our neighbors to know of our good fortune. A gentleman of means and character and Home influence has arrived, and from an announcement made in the Provincial Council to-day, that permission had been granted by the General Government to allow him to take up 2000 acres of Moa block waste lands (which without the permission was beyond the power of the province to grant), he may now be looked upon as a settler here, and will no doubt at once proceed to turn his purchase to good account. The announcement was received with applause by our M.P.C's. Another exhibition of gooseyness, you in Wellington will no doubt say. In appearance Colonel Trimble is a moderately tall, slim, and quietlooking English gentleman. He is liked where known, and is supposed to have money; and, what is of more importance to Taranalri at the present time, influence with men of means, who, like himself, are disposed to try colonial life. So as he is worth making a fuss about and worth obliging, and as he has been chiefly induced to visit this province through the exertions of our Home agent, there is every disposition shown to use him well, so that he may be induced to stay and draw a following of his own class or less well-to-do farming men. The taking up of, a block of land of 2000 acres in extent is an event to be talked about where large landowners are scarce.

The leading idea has all along been to make Taranaki a small-farm province, attractive to small-capitalist farmers, so that there might rather be a numerous and prosperous farming community than a few wealthy and largo station-holders with a sparse and poor population, and the provincial authorities are shaping well to that end, although the pace is slow. The quality of the land"is in every way suited to that purpose. There have been a few visitors on the lookout for land lately, but the difficulty for want of forethought and energy of getting the land properly surveyed, and in the market, stands slightly in the way of cash men purchasing largely—that is 500 to 1000 acre lots. Bona fide settlers of small means are chiefly wanted, intermixed with a few men with cash aud brains, minus the trickery and deceit credited to the " Heathen Chinee." A scheme is germinating the details of which will shortly be made public. The first steps have already been taken, in the shape of an application made to the Superintendent for 100,000 acres of land on the deferred payment system, with which to form a Good Templar special settlement. The prime mover is a Good Templar of rather liberal views. The Good Templar body is strong here, as in other parts of the colony and in Australia, and it is thought that out of the large number of active members of teetotal societies it would be an easy matter to form a special settlement on the basis of a joint stock company, which, as intended to be carried out, would prove a commercial undertaking of great value to its shareholders. The leading feature of the settlement would be the total absence of any licensed'drinking house, or stores for beer and spirituous liquors. It would not be attempted to hinder such as were inclined that way from taking drink in the settlement for their own use, in small quantities, but the brewing of beer, or storage of beer or liquor, would, under no circumstances, be allowed. A settlement of the kind would draw teetotallers, or persons who desired to be out of the way of temptation, from all of the Australian colonies or England, and with the ■ very complete, organisation of the Good Tem- , plar body, the scheme could be thoroughly discussed and canvassed before active operations were commenced, beyond a conditional holding of the required area of land. It is considered that great good would accrue to the province by the attraction it would prove to steady aiid industrious men. The originator, with a few -friends, is determined, to test the practicability of the scheme, and if the Government here are unwilling or unable to set apart a block of land on the usual deferred payment terms, other provinces will be tried. There are a number of discharged soldiers about the colony, many of whom, when stationed in this province, served in every engagement during the war in which troops were employed. They have settled down to civilian life, but seem to have a hankering for the province where they were chiefly engaged on active service. Some in Taranaki are now well-to-do tradesmen, some laboring men. Awards, in the way of land, have been made to volunteers, though the process has been slow. Soldiers who have Been more service and been equally well deserving, some of whom can speak feelingly and forcibly of the privations undergone in war times, being half-starved and half-naked, and trundled about the country in all weathers in chase of Maoris, their only reward, in many cases, their pay and a medal. Occasionally one turns up from another province, having saved a hundred pounds or so, who is on the look-out for land. Of course they can get it by purchase, but it is considered a hardship that men who have served the colony well should not be considered entitled to consideration when desiring to become hona fide settlers on land, and who by years of steady working have Bhown themselves worthy of a start in life. Confirmatory news of the proposed intentions of the Maoris to open the Mokau to trade, has como from Waikato side, and although the news first spread in town by George Smith was pooh-poohed, many are now leaning to the belief of its immediate probability. The meeting of Wetere and chiefs interested in the Mokau is reported as over ; but reliable items in regard to what took place are not easy to obtain. Such white men aB are interested hold back information, and are preparing to profit by being early- amongst the Maoris should the opening be declared or tacitly allowed. Tho bridge painters between here and Wanganui, the contract for which was taken by a

Nelson man, are reported to have been scared a few times by the Maoris when engaged painting bridges on native lands, but as the work has been successfully done there.is an end to such fears as may have been raised in the minds of men unaccustomed to Maori meddling. _ The Provincial Council has been in' session one week. Thehonorariumwasraisedearly in the week from 10s. to 15s. per diem'. There has been much talk and little work. Forty-six cottages have been built for immigrants at a cost of £4OOO, chiefly to facilitate the location of immigrants in the out-districts. • -During the past six months £2SS3- has been spent out of provincial revenue on roads and bridges ; 7000 acres of land have been disposed of, valued at £6713, for which about £3090 cash had been received up to the present time.- On Friday evening, after an afternoon spent m talking against time over some paltry question, a want of confidence motion was tabled by Major Brown. Although the authorities appear slow in many matters, the people generally have few or no complaints to make of much weight the present Executive ; aud though the Opposition party may be strong enough to displace the present Executive, it is generally looked upon' as a piece of pure nonsense and waste of time and money—a shifting of seats for the sake of the pay. Mr. Henderson, of the Brogden firm, 'came from the North this week. When last here-a great stir was made in railway matters, andit is thought that he may help to give it a lift along now, although for some time past at the Waitara end both engine and men have been kept at work early and late. The rails are now laid to within four miles of New Plymouth. The bridge work is most behind. The Harbor Board has been fully formed, and a meeting may be expected to take place immediately after the closing of the OouncU. Some old residents here are of opinion that if the splendid stone of the beach, which is largely 'used for building chimneys, foundations, and cellarage, had been charged for at only a shilling a ton, during the past dozen or fifteen years, a nest egg in the shape of a good round sum in cash would have been available, wherewith to have commenced harbor works.