NORTH ISLAND LANDS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 464, 19 April 1890, Page 4

NORTH ISLAND LANDS.

SCHEME FOR SETTLEMENT. ADDRESS BY DR. NEWMAN, M.H.R. Auckland, April 14. Dr. Newman, M.H.R., who recently arrived here from Wellington, via the proposed “central route,” addressed a well-attended meeting of the Chamber of Commerce this morning. Dr. Newman, having been introduced by the President of the Chamber (Captain Col beck), delivered an interesting address on ( “ The bestmethodofopeningup and settling 1 the North Island.” He thought Auckland and Wellington,which had for so long been at loggerheads, should throw aside all provincial jealousy and agree upon some mode to open up the interior of the country in this island. The policy of the Government appeared to be to lie down and wait for better times, and he (Dr. Newman) had come to the conclusion that they wanted stirring up. This island was an enormously rich one, far richer in land and in material than the other island of New Zealand. It would, he believed, contain a larger population than the South Island, and further, he believed that the province of Wellington contained the largest amount of good land of any province in New Zealand. Having got ourselves deluged with debt and with only a portion of the country occupied, the question was how they should proceed to bring about the occupation of the rest. Tradesmen knew of the possibility of doing a larger amount of business at very little greater cost, and this was the basis of the scheme he propounded. Looking over the last Crown Lands Guide, he found that there were in the colony about thirty-eight millions of acres of land belonging to the Maoris which were practically unused, and these lands were almost entirely in this island. If they occupied this remaining portion of the colony the result would be to double the colony's exports, and the increase of exports was the only lasting boom that they could have He had therefore come to the conclusion that their right policy was to have these lands in the interior opened up. He was opposed to a resumption of the Vogelian era, but there was a vast difference between that and energetically opening up our good lands. He had gone over the country from Wellington to Auckland, and he had been, as were others who had seen the country, astonished at its enormous value. A considerable amount of this land being in the hands of the Government, one of his oojects was to get the Government to hold Native Land Courts to buy this land as speedily as possible. From the moment that it became Crown land it could be opened up to settlement, and he believed it would be speedily taken up. After referring minutely to the character of the country n the Wellington province, Dr. Newman said he had come through a considerable portion of the Auckland province, and must say, that while the land was not so good in many parts, much good land was still untouched at Mokau, Kawhia, and at Te Kuiti, which, if taken up and settled, would bring about a general recuperation of the province. He had come to believe that the one great backbone of the colony was going to be sheep and the frozen meat trade. In order to open up this country, three things were required : —(1) They had a very large amount of land lying idle, and they wanted to cultivate that land. (2) How were they going to do that ? The important thing was to stir up the Ministry to the necessity that they should actively set to work and buy this country. If they bought the land at 5s or 10s per acre, and sold it, after it had been roaded, at £1 or £2 per acre the result must be beneficial, and there need be no increase of borrowing. £IOO,OOO had been set apart for the purchase of native lands on the Northern Trunk line, and he proposed to utilise this money for the purpose. (3) They must put main arterial roads through the country. He thought it would be a business-like proceeding to put upon the estimates a sum of £40,000 or £50,000 for the purpose of running a road through the North Island, a distance of 160 miles, to make much good land at present unoccupied available for occupation. There was, along the central route, some six millions of acres of land almost unknown, and he thought there should be no two opinions as to the necessity for opening the land up for settlement. He admitted that ho was heart and soul a central railway man, but said that the central railway route needed no advocation at all, for 'he railway must go where there was the best land. He therefore hoped that during the coming session the Government would put a sum on the estimates for completion of a road from Wellington to Auckland. There would, no doubt, be hereafter branches to Taranaki and to Napier, and the whole country would, in this way, be opened up. He suggested that Auckland and Wellington, having been so long at loggerheads, should now bury the hatchet and smoke the pipe of peace. He did not know that Wellington had much to gain bv it, but he could rise above provincial jealousies, and the time had come for the abolition of such provincial jealousies. Mr S. Vaile asked how Dr. Newman proposed to occupy this land, Dr. Newman replied that he proposed to occupy it under the conditions laid down in the Crown Lands Guide. That would amount to a very large number of small holdings, and he admitted that this would necessarily mean that agriculture would be required to make the scheme pay, but not necessarily wheat - growing. In the Wellington province there were numbers of people who made their living off sheep and cattle who had only from 150 to 200 acres, and they did not think of growing grain. Mr Green asked in what shape was the unexpended balance of the North Island trunk loan. Dr. Newman replied that it was in certain securities according to Acts of Parliament. Mr Green said he bad very grave fears that the money was not there. Dr. Newman assured the meeting that the money was there. Mr Green : Probably a portion is represented by deficiency bills. Dr. Newman: I am satisfied that the deficiency bills in question can be pawned to-morrow if necessary Mr Vaile urged that in the present state of the colony it was undesirable to expend money in acquiring further lands when they had lands already available which had not been fully occupied. His Worship the Mayor, Mr J. H. Upton, moved that Dr. Newman be accorded a vote of thanks for his excellent address. He said they were no doubt all anxious to see the country opened up and settled, although they might differ as to the manner in which this should be brought about.

Mr Vaile seconded the motion, whichjjwas passed by acclamation, and the meeting concluded.