Public Meeting.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2522, 5 February 1877, Page 2

Public Meeting.

A public meeting convened by advertisement to consider the action of the Waste Lands Board in the disposal of the waste lands of the Crown in the District of Thames was held in the Theatre Royal on Saturday evening last. The meeting was not numerously attended, about 60 only being present at the commencement of the proceedings, though that number was considerably augmented before the termination of the meeting.

The Mayor explained why the meet;!ig was called, and said that the. throwing open the lands of the district was a question of vital importance to them all; he would ask them to elect a chairman of that meeting, as his duties as Mayor terminated when the meeting had duly come together. On the motion of Mr Macnab the Mayor was unanimously called to the chair.

The Mayor said his only duty as chairman, was to call on. one or more of the gentlemen at whose request. the meeting had been called to speak to the business in hand.

Mr B. McDonald Scott said that he was there more for the purpose of making an explanation than of making a speech. He should explain tbat he was cot present at the meeting held at the Governor Bowen, nor was he interested in the Wairakau block; he thought they had one of two things to do, either to get lands or to clear out of the district altogether, at the same time he thought it right that they should express their views, or at least their indignation at the conduct of the Waste Lands Board in alienating the land—their birthright—and giving it to strangers. , He then moved the following resolution :—" That this meeting .views with dissatisfaction the action of the Waste Lands Board in giying away Thames lands without first offering the land to the Thames people." Mr Eowe, M.H.E., said be looked on. that meeting as one of the most important that had ever been held on the Thames, and one that would affect their interests to a greater extent than any previously held. He had attended many public meetings in his time, but he thought that no question had been brought forward which would so largely affect their interests as the present one. They had. been asking the Government' for land, not as a gift, but to be able to purchase land and sell it on fair and equitable terms. They had used all possible means to induce the Government to place land at their disposal, but they had never asked the Government to give a single acre of land, but to'let them purchase it, to settle, on it and cultivate it, and yet they were at present in a worse position than at , any previous time. He said he was not there to second Mr Scott's motion—

' The Mayor said in that case Mr Kowe was out of order, as Mr Scott's motion had not been seconded.

Mr-Sac then seconded Mr Scott's motion.

Mr Kowe proceeded—The reason , he would not second Mr Scott's motion was because it condemned the action of the Waste Lands Board for giving away land, whereas they would not give it awa}', but Mr Broomhall would have to pay 10s an acre for it, besides bringing out immigrants to occupy it. But he condemned the Waste Lands Board for ignoring the Thames people altogether, and offering the land to utter strangers. Mr Broomhall's settlement, had this to recommend it that the settlers would be teetotallers. But none of those millionaires who would come from England to build £60 houses, he would venture to say were better, than the men who were' here already. When he saw all the children going to Parawai the other day, decently and respectably dressed,'he asked why provide for people in England, and leave these unprovided forp They were not paupers and did no,t beg for anything, but they were prepared to to purchase land and settle on it, and cultivate it. Still they could not get land. But if a man came from England and avowed that he intended to make money

out of it, then land was immediately forthcoming for him. This was the case with,the Waste Lands Board, and therefore he viewed their conduct with indig?. nation. They ought to have said., in an-, swer to M r Broomhall, we will give you what you want, but we must also make provision .concurrently, for the people at the Thames. During the last session of the Assembly an attempt had been made to legislate in this matter, and a motion passed the House of Representatives, and that was, that a man might select 200 acres to be paid for by payments extending overten years. A similar law had been applied to btago and Canterbury, but the Legislative Council had thrown it out, giving as their reason that the motion came before • them -at a too late period of the session. As .it was they could - only select 70 acres on the deferred payment system; a quantity altogether insufficient. He did not , believe in special settlements, but land ought to be put. up to competition and let; the man who wanted it buy it fairly. The j law in Auckland was.this, that if a man; had £500 and wished % invest it in land,; he could only, select 70 acres, whereas in! Canterbury he could select 500; and.* though the provisions in Otago were not so liberal, still they were very liberal in: comparison with Auckland.; The action on the part of Government ought to have;] been to provide land for the Thames people, and then look after Mr Broomhall, or Mr anybody. Men might get land, in an underhand way, but those who tried to get land openly and honestly could not pet an inch of it. The Waste Lands Joard had no interest with, and knew nothing of their wants, he blamed the Government for the appointment of the * Waste Lands Board, who were all Auckland men and land owners, and had nothing in common with people of the Thames. The Boardought to have had.something of a repre-' sentative character, but this it had not, and they were really worse off regarding land than they were five years ago. He therefore" moved the following amendment: —"That this meeting views with concern the action of the Waste Lands Board in regard to the disposal of lands in the Couity, and is of opinion that due regard is not being paid to the welfare of the residents of this district and of the colony at large." If the land had been put up and sold it would have brought £100,000 more to the Province of Auckland thrn it will" bring now. The choicest piece of land. had been sold at ten shillings an acre, and the Thames people might go and. settle on swamps or where they could. He felt it was their duty to protest against the action of the Waste Landsi Boards

There being no seconder of Mr Rowe's amendmenl—

Mr Speight said if Mr Rowe's amendment fell through, he had another amendment to propose; and read as follows :— "That this meeting desires to impress upon the Auckland Waste Lands Board the necessity which exists for some of the lands of the Upper Thames being at once set apart upon the system of deferred payment for the Thames people." At this stage Mr Bowe, jun., seconded the amendment, and— Mr Speight continued —He said the reason of his moving his amendment was this, that the land promised to Mr Broomhall was not yet' in- the hands of the Waste Lands Board at pll, but that by the time the 'land "was handed over to Mr Broomhall there would be an equal quantity of equally good land for the Thames people to settle on. The promise had breh made to Mr Broomhall in order that he might be able to make definite arrangements. Regarding the land on' the Thames if anyone would read tbe reports" of the Waste Lands B.oard, with care, he would find that all the land had not been appropriated, but that there was still plenty for the Thames people.; -As long as there was land to give to Mr Broomhall or anyone else who had money to spend he would"say give it them: 'He maintained that there was plenty of land if they would but put their shoulder to the wheei. It was no Use cavilling at what was done for others, but Tto apply for-land on the deferred payment system, for themselves, for he maintained, although Mr Rpwe spoke in favour of cash purcha'js, that the deferred payment system was the best. A man might - wish to settle who had not ; capital, but he ' hadi which was to him in the stead of capital, his strong right arm and deter"----j mination to make a home for himself and his children. By the time Mr Broomhall returned he believed that there would be an acreage equal to Jor greater than that given to x»tr Broomhall, open for the people of this district. And he would like to ask if those who were acting in opposition to Mr Broomhall were prepared to spend the same amount of money P Mr Rowe:

Mr Speight: "I am sorry we are not all in the same happy position as Mr Bowe." He continued—As far as he could find out not a single application had been made to the Board in due-form, and those gentlemen who were now complaining, he believed, had never • made any application at all. They would not get what they wanted, by insulting the Board, but he would recommend- all those who wanted land to make application for it according to law. Eegarding what Mr Bowe had said as to what transpired in the House he believed the Lower House agreed to the deferred payment clauses, but the Upper House throw them out, and then owing, to the action of Mr Sheehan and others they were inserted again. Mr Bowe: Not at all.

Mr Speight: >" Mr Kowe, I listened to . you very patiently; I - must ask you to extend' the same courtesy to me." He continued — They were told, that there were people coming from England who intended to make the affair a commercial speculation. So did they all if they could. They w^re not to suppose that the millionaires spoken of by Mr Howe intended ; leaving their.steam shuttles and inhabiting these £60 houses, but they had taken up the plan with the view of benefiting others, and he thought there was great advantage to be derived from special settlements which would bring capital into the district. They ought not therefore to look on the plans of others in a snarling spirit. His only fear was that the Waste. Lands Board would open up the land in such a manner that only capitalists could take it up, whereas he wished to see the- land placed within the reach of all those who wished to settle, these ytete in realityjhe bone and sinew of the place. -He considered it" wrong to attribute bad motives to the Board in letting Mr i Broomhall have the land, as he believed they fully intended to provide for the Thames. He had never refrained from

censuring actions whjclrdeserved censure, but he did not think that the Waste Lands Board did in. this instance. He then read his amendment again. Mr A. Porter said he had much pleasure in seconding the amendment. His reasons for doing so were that, as some of them knew, he had taken a great interest in opening up the lands for settlement, not that.he wanted them for himself, but his friends wanted themr He had taken a letter from ten pentlemcn to Auckland to the Waste Lands Board. The Waste Lands Board were nit sitting, but he had seen Mr Firfch, and taken him to task for lotting others have the land when he had on a previous occasion told him (the speaker) that the land would not be given away unless there was sufficient for the requirements of the Thames people without it. Mr Firth assured him that there would be at : least 100,000 acres of land open to residents at 'V~ Thames by the time Mr Broomhall took possession of tlie land. (The speaker here proceeded to enumerate many blocks in the Upper Thames which would be available for settlement.) He had at one time thought that it would not be good for Mr Broomhall to get the the land, but he had changed his opinions. Mr Broomhall had money to spend, and he did not think they would be able to get so much at the Thames in its present state. He thought Mr Speight's amend* menfc better than either the resolution or Mr Howe's amendment, and therefore he would support it. At the same time he was very glad to see that Mr Rowe had come to his way of thinking, that 70 acres was too small a piece of land to take up, for he had heard Mr Rowe say on a previous occasion that 50 acres was sufficient. Mr Rowe: iN o you didn't. Mr Porter: " Well, I say one thing and Mr Howe says another. I will back my statement, and the Advertiser can be produced to show, which.is right.", .He continued —Fifty acres was not enough, settlers ought" to have if they chose -200 acres. This was what was wanted, and -he hoped Mr Rowe would help them get it. Mr Rowley considered this question the question of questions. It was a most vial one, which concerned them all. He condemned the action of those who had signed the requisition asking for a public meeting, and said that unless the land was opened on ! the deferred payment system it would be locked up for years. Mr Rowe said he had no objection to ■ Mr Speight's amendment, which would' do just as well as his own. He .had never applied for land at all. He did not consider seventy acres enough, but he condemned the action of the Board in giving strangers land before them: He withdrew his amendment. Mr Speight's amendment was then put, and a very large number of hands held up for it. The motion of Mr Scott was then put, and only two voted for it. The Chairman said it was not only .his duty, but his pleasing duty,. to declare Mr Speight's amendment carried. '. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the meeting.