TARANAKI.

Southland Times, Issue 969, 15 June 1868, Page 2

TARANAKI.

Several persons have arrived at New Plymouth overland from Patea without any molestation from the natives along the track. Judge Beckham has opened his court at Taranaki for the purpose of hearing the claims for compensation for losses sustained during the war. OTAGO. The following recommendations are contained in the report of the Select Committee on the ' West Coast, which has been laid on the table of the Provincial Council of Otago. " Tour Committee recommended, that in the event of the coal mines being worked (of which there is every probability), a township be at once laid off on the main land, opposite Coal Island, i.e. the neck of land between Preservation and Chalky Inlets, or other more convenient locality, as may, upon closer inspection seem advisable.

" Tour Committee are of of opinion, that if inducements, such as free grants of land, upon a-limited scale, were held out to pioneer settlers, at Martin's Bay, it would ultimately become a nucleus around which, within a reasonable time, would congregate purchasing and leasehold settlers. The natural inducements for settlement offered in the district, are not equalled in many portions of the Province. The entrance from the sea-board to the bay, river, and lake, is comparativly easy and safe for the coastal steamers 5 to the bay for both coastal and intercolonial steamers, rendering it the ' Ocean' key to the ' inland sea,' the Wakatipu Lake ; distant but 65 miles from sea to sea. The character of the forest timber is of the finest class for shipbuilding, and other purposes, whilst there are extensive tracts of country inviting location. These tracts consist of a rich loamy soil, resting on a natural drainage subsoil, of loose gravel, awaiting the operations of the husbandman's labors to raise the most luxuriant crops of cereals, grasses, or vegetables. Tour Committee, upcn a careful review of the evidence, recommend that a settlement be formed at Martin's Bay, believing that it is the duty of the Province to endeavor tocturn to account its West Coast territory — a territory which presents advantages to certain classes of immigrants, in many respects superior to the East Coast. Tour committee allude especially to such immigrants as have been induced by the Auckland Grovernment to emigrate from British North

America to settle in that Province, by free grants of land. There is. every ; reason to believe, that were the Government here empowered to give the like free grants of say IGO acres (4 such to the square mile) to each family of a stipulated' number of lona fide settlers, as a nucleus of settlement, such as experienced Canadian foresfers from the backwoods of Canada, or hardy and industrious immigrants from Nova Scotia, or the Orkney and Shetland Isles, whose previous training and occupations "have been connected with shipbuilding, whale or other fisheries ; that it would be the means of initiating a prosperous settlement upon these now valueless shores; having a tendency to largely increase the value of the surrounding country. Having this in view, your Committee recommend that the Otago Waste Lands Act 1866 be amended so as to enable the Government to make free grants of land at Martin's Bay, on such terms as shall secure actual settlement ; the necessary but subsequent expenditure incurred for surveying to be defrayed by the settlers on deferred payments. " Tour Committee, in addition to the last recommendation, recommends that further amendments be made in the 'Waste Land Act, 1866,' such as would empower the Government to subsequently 1 bring into the market and dispose of 150,000 acres of land upon a principle of an ascending sliding scale of upset prices. I Thus : say Ist, 50,000 acres at 5s per acre ; 2nd, 50,000 acres at 10s per acre ; 3rd, 50,000 acres at 15s per acre; after which, the old upset price of 20s per j acre to be resumed. Tour. Committee I believe that this scheme would be a sufficient inducement to capitalists to purchase largely, and so aid in the rapid settlement of a territory which otherwise may remain for half a century unoccupied. "Tour Committee are further of opinion, and recommend accordingly that immediate steps be taken, by placing a sufficient sum on the Supplementary j Estimates, to open a pack-horse track from ; Lake Wakatipu to the navigation at Lake Kakapo. Such a trackwouldinalTprbbability lead to miners from the "West Coast (furthernorth) finding their way overlandto the Wakatipu district. This tractyour Committee find would be much more easily and inexpensively made than is generally supposed ; the distance being about fifty miles, and the altitude upon the saddle above the Lake country, insignificant^ from whence a gradual descent could be obtained to Lake Kakapo. This is evinced by Dr Hector's Report, vide Otago Provincial Gazette, No, 274— ' There will be no difficulty in constructing a road at a moderate expenee between Wakatipu and Kakapo Lakes, that will pass over a summit level of the mountains that does not involve a rise of more than 400 feat above Wakatipu Lake, which, being elevated 1,000 feet above the sea, consequently makes the western descent equal to 1400 feet ; 400 of which may be accomplished with imperceptible gradients,' i.e.., up the valley of the Greenstone River, and down the valley .of the '

Kakapo. " Tour Committee cannot conclude their report without congratulating the Council upon the result of their labors, having been able to place on record much information that will ultimately be found useful, even if the Council in its discretion do not see fit to take immediate steps to carry out their recommendations."