THE VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS. Auckland, May 12.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 264, 16 May 1888, Page 5

THE VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS. Auckland, May 12.

I ii w i, not had much time lately to write or I .should, ere this, have said a few word 8 uncut fclie Village Settlement* around Ngamawahia. When I wrote that they were everything but a success I was doing .so on what I consider the mobt reliable intmmatiou, and 1 am btill of the samo opinion, " A Settlers '" letter to the contrary notwithstanding. The business people of (ho j)lace with whom the settlers deal ought to be excellent judges of the real condition of affairs and their account of the matter is certainly not in accordance with that given by "A Settlor." No one a\ ould be more pleased than I to hear ot their ultimate success, but I am very much afraid that my predictions will prove true, unless indeed the Government open their hearts, and the Treasury chests and come to their assistance with money to be &pent on road making, and other works. 1 ana very much afraid that the 84 chain drain mentioned by the settler, will prove utterly inadequate to the work required of it, and on this matter I speak with the experience gained from an intimate knowledge of this part of the district during the past 14 years. Unless it is considerably enlarged and deepened it will never drain theaicaof swamp through which it run^ and who is to do this work I cannot gvwss,. unless, as I have already said, the C-ioyern-nient comes forward witn the accessary funds, and on this point I have very gravqdoubts. " Star Correipondpnfj."