KARAMEA SPECIAL SETTLEMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4812, 24 August 1876, Page 6

KARAMEA SPECIAL SETTLEMENT.

A day or two ago we acknowledged the receipt from Mr. E. O’Conor, Provincial Secretary of Nelson, of a report on the Karamea special settlement. The document is very full and carefully compiled, and some portions will be found interesting outside the province of Nelson. He says : The Karamea is a low-lying undulating tract of country, shelving towards the west to a sandy open beach, on all other sides it is. surrounded by steep hills and a mountainous country. It consists of about 60,000 acres of laud available for agricultural and pastoral pursuits, containing a few swamps, but the greater part heavily timbered with rata, black, red, and white pine, totara, and pukatea. It is drained by five rivers, all sufficient to admit vessels of light draught, the principal river being the Karamea, which as a harbor is second on the West Coast only to the Duller, the entrance being straight, and the depth on the bar at high water ranging from 10 to 15ft. As early as 1866, some attempt was made at settlement, and in 1869 a land sale took place at Nelson, where some 1200 acres of choice laud mostly situated upon the banks of the Karamea were sold in lots of from 5 to 100 acres. £IOOO was realised by this sale, at which 57 persons purchased, not one of whom ever settled upon the land, or since made any attempt to utilise it. About the same time a goldrmining rush also took place, and fair prospects were' obtained. An attempt was then made to find a line of road to connect with the more populous districts on the West Coast in order to facilitate traffic and ensure provisions, but the attempt entirely failed, and only resulted in a report that no practicable road could be made between the Mohikinui and Little Wanganui rivers. The difficulty of obtaining provisions became very great, and as winter approached the diggers were compelled to leave en masse to avoid starvation. A few returned to work the black sand on the beach, and at the time the special settlement was commenced four persons were thus employed, leading a most dreary, monotonous existence, and occasionally very much pinched for provisions, which they laid in annually, and conveyed from Westport by small boats during fine weather, On the 27th of

November, 1874, the first settlers, immigrants and new arrivals, landed at Karamea. . . . The settlers upon their arrival were allotted sections, upon which they went to work clearing and building. As might be supposed, they were generally deficient, not only in tools and domestic utensils, but many were absolutely without necessary clothing ; therefore, to supply an outfit necessitated an advance, which varied according to the family, from £4O to £7O. Against this advance some security was held in the improvements effected up»n the land. It is gratifying to note that with few exceptions those advances have been honorably repaid. Sixty-eight houses have been [erected, many of them are quite comfortable, and some have additional outhouses. The clearings, in various stages of advancement, amount altogether to about 400 acres, and a good road one chain in width, with substantial bridges and culverts, where required, has been made through the settlement In consequence

of the extremely wet season of 1875 and the insufficient preparation of the soil, most of the early crop of potatoes failed. This crop being the settlers main dependence, the failure was deemed a great misfortune, although up to the present it has afforded a sufficient supply. To prevent such failure in the future, each settler will have a, small section of land of drier and lighter quality. Experimental patches of wheat, maize, and other grain, of green crops, of peas, beans, and hops, were tried with varied, but on the whole encouraging results. The hop plants were remarkably luxuriant ; nor was the settlement without its monster pumpkin. One was shown there last season which was worth exhibiting, and almost deserved immortalising in newspaper paragraphs From the first of the settlement it was found necessary to establish a Government store, which has been locally under the control of the overseer, and under the care of a storekeeper. Although the store has entailed constant supervision and a vast deal of extra trouble and anxiety, in practice it has been found extremely useful in preventing extravagance, securing supplies at a low price, and preventing the surreptitious sale of intoxicating drinks, which, if once allowed, would have raised numerous difficulties. It remains a source of congratulation that no disturbances have taken place as yet at the Karamea, nor has police intervention been required. The settlers appear in the aggregate fully equal to the average population of other localities in the colony. Still, it must be said that there are some there, as in most other communities, whose absence would bo an advantage ; there are also a few constitutionally unfit for a rough and arduous life. Notwithstanding the exceptions above noted, the accumulation of private property, as well as the quantity of public work completed, bears testimony to general industry and thrift, which is the more remarkable when it is remembered that the immigrants were taken almost promiscuously from shipboard without previous experience or training to qualify them for the work. A liberal allowance of time was given to each settler to build and to make his family comfortable, then all were required to commence the public works by making the roads through the settlement. With some tuition they succeeded in completing road work, culverts, and bridges that will bear favorable comparison as to workmanship and cost with similar works elsewhere—the work in almost all cases being done as piece work, day work having been found very unsuitable. The local works, including the erection of the Government building, clearing the Government reserves, &c., having been thus completed, attention was next directed with considerable anxiety to the outlying road intended to connect the settlement with

Nelson on one side and Westport on the north. The available labor was directed to the road works from Little Wanganui to Mohikinui; but here difficulty was experienced by the unwillingness of some of the settlers to leave their homes at Karamea. Many of them upon the moat frivolous pretext left work, and much time was lost, until stringent rules were_ put in force, compelling those who were in debt to remain constantly at work, or have their credit stopped at the store. The track is well laid out, and with good gradients, though several heavy rock cuttings have been made. It is taken through a country of limestone formation,' which, although hilly, appears to be of good quality, even to the hill tops. The trails- will probably be open about the end of Jiffy, 1878. The education of the children has not been entirely neglected, a school having been opened upon the terrace, and established about twelve months, attended by about forty children, with good results. No school building has yet been provided, although very much required, and as the settlement is small to support two schools, it would Joe desirable to provide one in a central position, so as to secure attendance from both sides of the river.

From the foregoing may be gathered how far success has attended the works entered upon at Karamea. The great object of planting a settlement in the hitherto inaccessible wilderness has been accomplished by the location of seventy families, and although another year may elapse before all these can safely depend upon the produce of the land to supply their wants, the amount of extraneous employment necessary in future need not be very large. At one time there was a prospect of the establishment of sawmills at Karamea; this would have given all the employment required, but the fall in the value of sawn timber has temporarily checked enterprise in that direction. The number of persons engaged in mining at Karamea has increased, and probably some of the settlers will presently supplement the returns from their land by this industry ; but for the next year some other employment will be required, especially by those who have to provide for large families. Keproductive public works are urgently required in many parts of this district where comparatively nothing has been done to connect the interior with the port, and in addition to the settlement roads, which should be continued, there are at least two works in the neighborhood of paramount importance, which really should be undertaken with as little delay as possible. One is the track from the mouth of the Mohikinui river to the quartz reefs, a distance of twelve miles ; the other being the continuation of the coast track from the Karamea, via Heaphy, Salisbury’s Open, and the Aorere, to Colhngwood. . . .

Up to the 31st of May the expenditure and liabilities of the settlement have been as follows : Advances from the General Government (disbursed as per returns) _ £10,200 Liability for stores and freight .. -. 1,000 Due to settlers for work done 760 Accruing due to settlers for contract work incomplete 640 £12,600 No explanation will be needed, except perhaps for the latter item, which represents the amount that will be due when contracts now in hand on the Mohikinui track are completed. The two latter items, amounting to £I4OO, will be required immediately, to enable settlers to take up their leases, and to purchase seed and cattle. Direct result of outlay—--161 miles Mohiklnni-road £6,615 5 miles settlement road .. .. .. 2,500 Other roads, tracks, ditching. See. .. 1,100 Explorations and surveys 600 Balance due by settlers 990 Working stock and goods in store .. 1,350 Passages of immigrants to port of destination 600 Subsidy to steamer 300 £13,965 . . . Looking at the direct result of the expenditure here dealt with, we find a surplus on the side of assets. This arises from the margin of profit left on the small percentage charged in the store to cover freight and charges. The advantages resulting from the establishment of the special settlement may be shortly summarised : —Public works, to the value of the money spent; land taken up under special settlement, 4000 acres ; seventy families provided with homes, and improvements made by them on their lands to the value of £SOOO. It is worth noticing as an additional result, indicative of what will follow, that 1497 acres have already been taken up by thirteen persons outside the special settlement. In considering this, I cannot help wishing that the large sums spent in this province in public works during the past three years had been productive to a like degree. If they had been so, then, putting that expenditure at £250,000, our population would now have increased by about 6000, and 1400 families would have been enabled to make homes for themselves, and would have added to the wealth of the colony £IOO,OOO by their industry in permanent improvements upon land taken into occupation. Although taking this view, I am quite aware that so marked a result is not to be expected, particularly as much of the last-mentioned expeuditure was made to gain other results, perhaps equally desirable. Still, I must express my conviction that a great extent of bush land on the west coast of this province cannot be settled for years in any other way than by combining public works with settlement, so as to enable working men to make sure of sufficient employment to assist them in supporting their familes while making a home. Any work set aside for such a purpose should be extended over three years, and should amount per family according to circumstances, from £IOO to £2OO. I feel sure, from applications asking to join the settlement at Karamea, that there are hundreds in this province, sons of the old settlers, or men who on the goldfields have born the heat and burden of the day, and consequently have stronger claims upon the country than new arrivals, would be extremely thankful for such au opportunity of providing for their families. Many of these are now compelled, in order to obtain employment, to live in town, where employment not being constant, much of their time is lost. The highest result a man so situated can expect, is that he will be able to feed and clothe his family and pay his rent. Certainly another advantage highly prized is extended to him by the liberal provision made by the State for education, and while enabling working men to form settlement upon the land in connection with public works, education might still be provided for, and, I repeat, a great boon thus extended to many who, no matter how industrious or hard working, may never have the means of taking land and making a home upon it. I am also convinced that as an investment for capital, clearing the heavy bush land upon the West Coast will not pay, and that the only way to clear away this useless bush and establish in its place productive settlements and homes for the people, is to extend to a certain number yearly the advantages bestowed by the combination of public works and settlement. In doing so no doubt the experience already gained will be of some advantage ; but in the main if the people are of the right class, and the land good, the management will be poor indeed if success be not achieved.