The Southland Times. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1873.

Southland Times, Issue 1698, 4 February 1873, Page 2

The Southland Times. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1873.

The recent large land sales afford pleasing evidence of the confidence which capitalists entertain in the future of this district, and furnish a significant comment on the dismal croakinga of those newspapers and politicians ■who predict that the Public Works and Immigration policy will speedily bring about the ruin of New Zealand. The answer in this particular instance is the more complete, and should be more convincing, from the circumstance that the investors are gentlemen well acquainted with New Zealand, and particularly with Southland. Messrs Spencb Brothees, who hay* recently acquired a block of more than 20,000 acres in the Oreti Hundred and Taringatura district, were engaged in business in Southland for some years. They have latterly been carrying on mercantile operations in Melbourne, where, it is understood, they have been very successful. The favorable opinion which these gentlemen evidently entertain of the Southland district has not, therefore, been formed at second-hand ; and being shrewd business men it may be assumed that their judgment in the matter ia at least as sound as that of any number of bilious or disappointed politicians. As business men, it is not likely that they will be disposed to let the land lie unproductive. Every acre brought under the plough, or laid down in English grass, is an addition to the resources of the colony. Those who, like ourselves, would rather see the country covered with homesteads of moderate dimensions, occupied by actual settlers, than passing in large tracts into the bands of a few individuals, may derive satisfaction from th» probability that in the present instance the land will be turned to good account. The selection of the particular block in question is understood to have been considerably influenced by the prospect of the speedy completion of the Wrey'a Bush road, and there is little doubt that if the Government offer facilities for opening up other portions of the country, the land will attract attention and command a ready sale The means for more road-making are thus provided, and it cannot be doubted that if the system of opening up districts by judiciously laid out roads is steadily pursued, the results will soon become apparent in increased sales of land. Whether it be by road or rail, in the absence of navigable rivers, affording a ready-made system of inland communication, as in America, a cheap aud ready means of transport is the first requisite which must be provided to render the waste lands available for settlement. This seems so obvious as to be hardly worth the trouble of writing. No one will deny it for a moment ; everybody knows it already. But these simple and well known truths it is frequently rery necessary to repeat, for the reason that (perhaps because they are so well-known) tb«y are often lost sight of in practice. The Provincial Government have done very little, at least in the Southland district, in the way of opening up communication with the interior. They are exceedingly anxious to sell land, particularly, it is said, Southland land. It is understood that a strong opinion in favor of pushing all the unsold land in the Southland hundreds into the market at ten shillings an acre is entertained in certain official quarters. Tbe purchase to which we have adverted, and other large purchases recently made in the hundreds, ought at least to suggest tbe propriety of pausing before making such a reduction in the price. The plan of road-making might first be tried, and if found to answer, as we doubt not it would, it could be continued and extended with advantage at once to the settlers and the Government. The session of the Provincial Council is now not yery far distant, and it may not be amiss to remind our Southland members that our district, by its contributions to the land revenue, has special claims to be considered with regard to expenditure en roads. All that has been done iv this way since re-union has been very trifling indeed. The finances of the Province, not very flourishing when the Executive met the Council last year, are bow understood to be in a somewhat more satisfactory condition. It is accordingly possible that something more may be done for us next year, if our demands are urged with proper importunity. The principle that good roads lead to good land sales might be urged on our behalf, showing that judicious expenditure of this kind is a profitable speculation for the Government. Like virtue, it is its own reward. This consideration would probably be found to have as much weight with an average Provincial Secretary or Treasurer as any other that could be brought forward. The desire to do impartial justice to all parts of tbe Province is doubtless very strong in the minds of those who have the direction of affairs. At all events there are yery few of them who

have not repeatedly told us so. But somehow it never seems to come to much until they are persistently reminded of our claims, a duty which we trust our members will perform even more energetically for the future than they have done in the past. "Were we to say that the Southland district, as a whole, is by far the finest in New Zealand, both as regards the area of land fit for settlement, the like of which is not to be found connected with any other harbor than the Bluff in the Colony, and as regards the natural facilities for the construction of roads and railways which the country offers— readers at a distance might suppose that we could scarcely be impartial judges, and would naturally be inclined to take the statement cum qrano salis. It nevertheless represents literal fact, which has repeatedly been observed by men well able to judge, and who had no interest to • serve by publishing an unduly favorable . j account of our resources. Che future of I such a district is certain to be prosperous, J whatever the Government may do or leave undone. But its development may be materially hastened by timely and judicious expenditure on internal communication.