LOOKING FOR LAND.

Patea Mail, 25 September 1880, Page 2

LOOKING FOR LAND.

Strangers arc flocking up the West Coast, looking for sections. They want to sec the far famed Waimate Plains, and they want to know how much land is available for settlement, and where it lies. The Plains up to Oeo comprise 23,000 acres of good land, apart from native reserves; and there are G,OOO acres of open coast land beyond Oeo to be put in the market. Behind this coast belt lies a long strip of native reserve, which has been practically thrown away by an over-wise Government, whose excessive liberality is now laughed to scorn by the ve'ry natives who have had these land-bribes thrust upon them. Behind that reserve, which is badly located for political reasons, lies a valuable area o! bush, all covering excellent land, representing 115,000 acres, and stopping at the six-mile radius of forest reserve round Mount Egmout. That forest reserve round the mountain slope should be perperual, as a necessary check to prevent sudden and excessive floods rushing down the gorges to devastate the plain. A still larger area of land is available for settlement behind the coast-belt southward. That land is broken in parts, but much of it is excellent or fairly good, and

it is locked up only temporarily for Avant of roads. Those roads have become a colonial obligation, and avc look to the Native Minister and the new Land Commissioner to push on road-making in the southern portion of the district as Avell as at the northern end. We expect them to shoAV a lively appreciation of the general interests of the West Coast, by cutting roads into blocks already open to selection, but inaccessible till roads are made. We expect them to open the rivers as natural highways to the interior.

If the land fund had remained to this County in the proportion of 20 per cent., the road question could have been dealt Avith by the County Council in a comprehensiA’o and energetic spirit; and selectors uoav roving through the district would not have had long to Avait for the back country being made accessible. With a land revenue of £50,000 a year for the next five years, the County Council could have formed a network of County roads, rendering the back country available for rapid settlement, increasing the rating area, augmenting the population, feeding the commerce of the

toAvns, and spreading general prosperity. Major Atkinson, our local Member, lias stopped all that. What docs he put in its place ? What ?