SHAFTESBURY.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 20, 20 October 1883, Page 3

SHAFT ESBURY.

(From our own Correspondent.) At the last meeting of the Aucklind Crown Land 1 * Bo.iiil, tin L'.uLT-Sjerjt.iry for Crown lands furnished a return of the money paid by Grunt and Foster on the Te Aroha ppeoin] settli'inenf, ii!-o infiiuiting that a further Mini of £1240 had been paid on the extra block. The total amount paid was ,£31,000, and lie re {nested the Board to prepare Crown grants for Grant and Foster, and those who h.-d taken up land under them. The fhiirman said they were now being scheduled for that purpose. Messrs Grant and Foster will now be at liberty to deal with all coiners for the leasing or absolute pale or' their lands (about 20,000 aeies) where..; pevious to the Granting of the Uiov\ n f tL\ they were by the original terms of ronti.-irf d i tain_d from selling to t uiy in New Zealand <u Australian Colonies, they lu;d to i.e. genuine new auivaK S^veial thousand (about f> JO' >) acre-* of tliib block have already b«*eu debarred of and settled upon. SettLrs h.iv.ng thik-. obtained thr properties .is ikso'iite freeholds, will be in a position if needful to borrow money to improve their property, and it is expected that many will t-ike the present opportunity of acquiring lands in this rising district, the value <>f which will be so greatly enhanced by the proximity of the goldfields, afEoiding- a re'idy market for produce at high price.*. M- J b rs Grant and Foster, we are ipfoimed, are asking £7 an acre for some of the land. A number of the settlers around thi> district are leaving and going to Waioiongomai principally, and find ready employment in connection with the mines directly and indirectly. I regret to know that Mr Grant, having withdrawn his support tow<'i»'ds maintaining the ferry here, the same is now under the charge of no particular persons, and travellers may have the discomfort of arriving and finding no means of transit to the opposite side. This state of things should be speedily rectified. J have already shown the necessity of u punt, ■nhich must, however, be in nboymcp for the present. But it is cert.iinU too bad that a regular ferry should b- done ,\w ay with. Many childteu are now tinnhl*- to attend school with any degree of rnsnJarity from lack of means to cro^a the river.