MANAWATU COUNTY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5104, 2 August 1877, Page 3

MANAWATU COUNTY.

TO THE EDITOK OF THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES. SIE, —In fulfilment of the promise made in my former letter relative to Mr. Halcombe’s letter of the 9th inst., I now send you a few more thoughts on the subject. In doing so, I may state that Mr. Halcombe appears to put the Kiwitea before the Manchester riding, for the purpose' of throwing dust in the eyes of those who live at a distance, and of trying to secure the support of the Kiwitea settlers. Mr. Halcombe knows that his separation cry will have little weight unless backed up by others than those over whom he rules. I believe that most of those who signed the separation petition were Feilding immigrants and a few tradespeople who live in Feilding and Halcombe. I wish, sir, to call your special attention to a statement which appears in the sixth paragraph of Mr. Halcombe’s letter, viz., that the Manchester Eiding is a roadless settlement. If this statement is true, the questions arise, what has become of the large sum of money which the Government have expended on the Manchester Block, for the purpose of giving employment to the immigrants for the first year or so after their arrival in the colony? and what has Mr. Halcombe done with the large sums of money received from sales of land in that district ? I understand, sir, that the 100,000 acres of land comprised in the Manchester Block was handed over to the management of the Corporation, to be administered in accordance with general conditions prescribed by the Government. If so, the public have a perfect right to see that those conditions are carried out, and to know what becomes of the price paid for the land after it has been sold. When the arrangement was made between the Government and Colonel Feilding respecting the Manchester Block, the public of New Zealand were led to expect that the Feilding Corporation would send out to the colony 3000 statute adults of the best class of laborers, and that each family would have the opportunity of securing a freehold of from forty acres upwards on very easy terms. All agreed that this would be a good scheme if carried out, and were willing to part with this large bio! 1; of land on those terms. Now, sir, the very name of the Corporation leads peo -e to expect that at least justice would be ''one in the matter. It is called the Em; .rants and Colonists’Aid Corporation. I think a knowledge of the facts would lead people to conclude rather that the immigrants and colonists aid the Corporation. May I ask, what has the colony had in return for the very large sacrifice it has made in this matter? For the Government not only locked up 100,000 acres of the best land in New Zealand, but has also made a railway through it. Mr. Halcombe tells the world, through your columns, that there are no roads in the district, and the most that I can see in the way of, improvements on this fine block of land, is a few business houses and a great number of boxes, which one would think had been made by the score, and which are dignified by the name of “ cottage.” Each of these boxes is built on an allotment of from one-third to an acre of land, for which these poor people are charged, I am told, £65 and £75 respectively. I am also informed that they are charged the very highest rate for every little thing that is done for them in conveying them from Wellington to the huts provided for them. These boxes cost the Corporation, I should think, from £3O to £35 each, and the land 15s. per acre. I would ask in what way does this aid these immigrants ? If these people inquire anything ‘ about the forty-acre sections of land which they say were promised them before they left England, they are told that they can have the land at the moderate price of—what do you think, sir, considering that the Government is only to have 15s. per acre for this land, and to pay £lO per head passage money for these people? Only £3 per acre, and 2s. fid. per acre annual rent until it is paid for ! This is all bush land, and it is impossible for these men to pay the exorbitant price demanded and make a living beside ; so moat of those who try it give up in despair, and the land intended for the houses of the immigrants and their families is being sold in large blocks of from 3000 acres downwards to capitalists at from £2 to £3 per acre cash. What, sir, is to become of these immigrants when the public works in that locality stop, which will be in a very short time ? They cannot make a living on one acre of land, and men will do anything rather than starve. I ask, sir, will the public of New Zealand quietly allow these 3000 people, who have been brought into the colony at the public expense, to be pauperised, and the price of this fine block of land go to enrich a few English gentlemen,

and to enable their agents out here to build fine houses ? I do not think that they will. Surely some member of the Parliament now in session will move in the matter, and urge the Government to compel the Corporation to lay off a sufficient number of sections of the required size for these families, make roads, and sell to them at not more than £1 ss. per acre. The Corporation may then do what it chooses with the remainder, and will have ample profit.—l am, &c., H. Sanson. Sandon, July 24.