OUR TARANAKI LETTER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4482, 31 July 1875, Page 1 (Supplement)

OUR TARANAKI LETTER.

(t'KOM OUR OWN COUUESrONDENT.) Nkw Plymouth, July 23. As in other parts of the colony, the weather iu this province of late has been none of tho best. There have, of course, been some fine days, but there has been much wet. Travelling outside town boundaries is heavy work. Off the main or Devon lino the laying of road metal has scarcely yet beguu to be considered. Between town and Stouey lliver there aro many stretches of road, newly cut or made, for which contracts have been entered into for metalling, but which have had to be deferred till tho return of spring. Wet weather set iu before cutting and forming wore completed, and out-settlers have been debarred tho pleasure aud profit which a good metalled road would have afforded them for carting to and from town in winter.

Townsfolk suffer by having to pay higher prices for country produce. Firewood can scarcely be purchased at any price. Old settlers always take care to be well provided in the summer time with firewood for winter use. New-comers aro not generally so well provided.

Between town aud Waitara, the land for tho most part being of rich black soil, tho roads are very slushy, and metalling on roads lately formed has had to be stopped by tho contractors since the winter set in. Tho road to Inglewood is so bad that German immigrants lately arrived cannot conveniently bo sent out. Government havo, however, agreed with the Town Board to do certain necessary road work, branching from tho Devon lino towards the new township, which will keep new-comers profitably employed till a change in the weather enables them to be sent to bush-fall-ing ou the Moa block. The first Government sale of rural lands took place in February last, before sections ? iad been properly surveyed or pegged out, aud before tho bush or township had been burned. Now there are between three and four hundred persons living on the block. A large accommodation house has been erected. A Government store as well as a substantial private store, and between twenty and forty dwellings of various descriptions. A weekly postal delivery has been granted. A schoolhouse and masters' residence is being erected, and a schoolmaster has been appointed. Preaching by ministers and laymen of various denominations takes place every Sunday in the township, and in spite of the bad state of the roads and weather, a Sunday-school has been started, which is very fairly attended. There are some settlors on tho block who have had years of experience of bush lifo, who, knowing the difficulties in the way, and having faith in the future, act as leaders to the less energetic, aud help all they can to make the settlement attractive. Tho chango brought about iu such a short time under such very adverso circumstances, is spoken of by these men as little less than wonderful ; and the lion's share of tho credit for present success is attributed to a few of tho working surveyors, who aro ever ready by advice and example and personal aid to remedy wrongs or advocate measures for tho good of tho district. Tho want of boundary pegs and by-roads has been a source of annoyanee and loss to some of both deferred and cash buyers of rural lands, who desired to commence operations immediately on purchasing. In every case of a settler desiring to commence work a surveyor is always at hand to point out boundary of section on application. Where by-roads still require to bo cut, it has been no easy matter to meet tho wishes of would-be settlers, hence thero has been some amount of grumbling. The progress made up to tho present augurs weS for the attractiveness of tho settlement to small farmers in the coming spring. Many cash and deferred payment purchasers from other provinces havo taken advantage of the winter for the disposal of their present holdings and stock, so as to bo ready to move hero with baggage and families on the first show of settled lino weather. A number of Wellington men of tho working class havo become purchasers,—in somo cases on spec, not having had opportunity before sale of inspecting the laud, —who express themselves highly satisfied with their purchases, and who in tho course of a couple of years hope to mako a good show and reap somo benefit.

Either from backwardness of surveys, for want of a larger staff, or somo other reason, the authorities appear to be in no great hurry to push tho sale of land. There seems to be an impression that the land, once known, will advertise itself. The good accounts of tho land given by purchasers, it appears to bo thought, will bring more buyers than can bo supplied. Surveyors aro wanted, but thero seems to be little effort made to procure them outside tho colony. A dead set has been made against purchasers on deferred payments. The systein is not believed iu, and is only going to bo tried on a limited scale. Somo men, who havo had a wide experience iu tho opening up of new country, look upon the system of sales by auction, as adopted here, as something of a huckstering and pittifogging stylo of doing business, quite unbecoming the chief men of a province.

Considering tho inaccessibility of tho provinco aud the barriers to free exporting and importing, a very high price has been sot on both town aud country lands offered for sale. The lands may bo fully worth tho money to bona fide settlers if purchasable at upset prices, for it is undoubtedly good. Tho objection urged against auction sales is that men of small means, on fancying a soction, aro apt to bid beyond what they can really aiford to pay —in many cases run up by speculators—and so cripplo themselves by leaving no cash in hand to work the land with. For twenty-eight sections of deferred payment land, lately offered, there were over fifty applicants. Sections for which there were more than ono applicant were afterwards put up at auction, and in some cases fetched double tho upset price. Bidders appeared to lose sight of tho actual value of the laud and tho length of their pursc.'and so over-bid themselves. Tho principle adopted in England by coal-masters, and latterly by coal-workers, of limiting the supply for the sake of keeping up tho pVico per ton, appears to bo acted on here in regard to sections of land. The price already is high. With tho comparatively limited area ready for sale, it is not unlikely that prices maybe again raised if any_ largo number of applications should be sent in for land now iu tho market. Tho class of men who havo so far applied for deferred payment laud has been such as any provinco might do well to Btrain a point to settle on land at just paying rates. Laud may bo obtained, but only on tho condition of paying down'full price in hard cash. Thus many men who with a prospect of boconiing freeholders would ,provo to bo thrifty and hard-working men, are left out in tho cold, and without a stake in tho country.

Tho first batch of Gorman immigrants settled on tho Moa block aro highly spokou of, and havo already inado considerable progress in 'preparing laud for cultivation. Tho lato arrivals aro a likely looking lot, and wo Bald,

with two exceptions, to be all farm laborers ; but few havo as yet been engaged. Tho need for a harbor for New Plymouth was again shown ou tho occasion of the Luna calling hero last Monday morning for the members of tho House of Representatives. All wcro iu roadincss on the beach from shortly after midnight, but the Luna could not be tendered immediately on arrival, and so went on to Wellington. Tho Taupo called on Wednesday, landed and shipped passengers and luggage, but had to tako on cargo. It is rumored that a small sailing vessel will shortly be commenced ut the Waitara for a New Plymouth firm, to be built entirely of Tarauaki grown timber. Tho steamer Go-Ahead, which was taken off this coast about January last, to trade between Auckland and Poverty Bay, has again begun to run between Auckland and Wanganui, calling at the Waitara and New Plymouth. On the occasion of a heavy fresh in the Waiwakia River, which is about a mile and a half from town, on Monday last, fears were entertained for the safety of tho railway bridge, on account of the trunk of a large tree which was washed down the river setting broadside on to tho piles. Navvies wore set to work from midnight, and continued workiug till the danger was over by tho floating on of tho log. Great energy is being shown in tho endeavor to complete tho railway. Night and day, when the weather is suitable, the work is proceeded with. Tho platelayers are now within a mile and a half of town.

Epiha, a native acting on behalf of chiefs at Mokau, is still busying himself to get a steamer iu the river. Produce is said to be rotting for want of purchasers. There appears to be reasonable prospect of a cement factory being started iu New Plymouth. Samples of cement which it is professed has been made from material lining the beach have been shown to a few persons, and certainly look well. An attempt is being made to lease the old ironsand works, as being suitable for a factory.

About sixty tons of Para Para ironstone has been landed at Now Plymouth. Two gentlemen connected with tho Para Para Company are now on a visit to tho province. It is surmised that thero is somo intention of attempting to smelt iu one or other of the furnaces already erected hero, but thero is yet no definite information on the point. Mr. Cohen, a Wellington man, who was brought here to givo evidence in a watch stealing case, has at last been released. Tho Court has been several times postponed on account of tho illness of Judge Kenny. On account of tho lengthened and tantalising delay, he will not probably bo favorably impressed with this place. Major Brown has been named as successor to Mr. Parris, Native Commissioner. Mr. Parris retires on a pension. A person here, who is much amongst tho Maoris north of New Plymouth, seems to think tho Native Minister is averso to opening Maori country. Major Brown is not in favor with the Makau natives.