SETTLEMENT OF LAND.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 276, 5 December 1877, Page 2

SETTLEMENT OF LAND.

(To the Editor of the Patea Mail.) Sir, —Having read Mr C. A. Wray’s ideas, re special settlements, embodied in a report to the Waste Lands Board, New

Plymouth, I quite agree with the latter portion of the third paragraph wherein he states “ that a liberal view should be taken, rather than the last shilling should be screwed out.”

He states that the objection urged against its adoption, viz., “ that any one can come in and bid, appears to bo an argument in its favour.” Is there any person so devoid of common sense as not to see, that every new comer into the district, so long as he brings capital enough to buy and work a section of land on the deferred payment system, is to be welcomed to the district rather than otherwise. He goes on and says u if”—of course everything hangs on the word “ if.” “ If the proclaiming of a block of 20,000 acres open for sale, on the system of deferred payment, people from other parts of the Country, can bo induced to settle thereon, such must manifestly tend to the benefit of the community, and equally with the special settlement scheme, promote the end in view ; as such persons would be compelled to occupy, and improve.” This is exactly where the two schemes arc not equal. To take up 200 acres of hush land on the deferred payment system, it requires a person with sufficient capital to carry him on for at least four years (1 am speaking of average laud in an average position). The advantage of special settlement re ,V[i' Fookes over the deferred payment system is, that any working man with £2O in his pocket, can take up 200 acres of laud, and continue at Ins employment until, say a slack time of the year, when he can get a month or six weeks to throw a few acres of bush, so as to form a clearing for his future homestead. He can then cither return to his employment and continue to put his surplus money on his land, as it is required, instead of spending it in some nnreprodnetive manner, and as soon as lie is in the position, he can leave his employment and take a partner and live on his own laud.

xVs to improvements. The capitalists—say Mr Fookes, tor instance—says to the country, through the Board, this block ot land sold on the deterred payment system, that is to say with occupation and improvement clauses, is worth £1 per acic. Now, I will improve the public estate in general, viz., make a road to the hack country, and this block in particular, by finding the cash to make the above road, lie says to his sub-purchasers, I have found the cash to make the improvements and you have 10 years to repay mo in. I venture to predict that Midhirst will become a thriving district under the supervision of one man in less time than a similar block in a similar position would do under the supervision of Government officials with large salaries attached.—l am, &c., PROGRESS. o