WELLINGTON SMALL FARMS ASSOCIATION, OR LAND FOR THE PEOPLE.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3414, 1 December 1879, Page 2

WELLINGTON SMALL FARMS ASSOCIATION, OR LAND FOR THE PEOPLE.

To the Editor of the Evkniko-Stab.) Sib, —The Wellington Small Farm Association, inaugurated under Ibe ouspicies of the Wellington Working Men's Club* has been taken up by the Club upon the principle of the true Liberal, motto, " Tho land for the people," and is quito district from the Club os to funds, liabilities, and management. It is believed by the most prominent members of the Ciub that if this colony is to build up a future for itself, to establish itself, as it may do, second to none of all the colonies in Her Majesty'sMominions, to open up a market, of its own to consume the products of its industries, which, it .is now proposed^ to foster and encourage, for this it will* have to do, seeing that all other markets' will be closed against them, it-should with discretional speed occupy and utilise the waste lands of the colony. It is also v further believed that s. the occasional commercial and trade ' depression, a shock from .which the colony is now suficri g. is mainly, if not wholly, due to this ciiu.se, viz.—the land of this ;colony is not made to contribute its just share towards supplying the wants of the colony. They also further believe that a rery largo number of their fellow colonists, of the class to which they belong, would gladly a rail themselves of an opportunity afforded on a well-defined plan, to become free holders of small farms, ,in wellselected and well-chosen districts, the land good, care being taken to obtain land best adapted to supply their wants, and to bo easy of access to men of limited capital. • To do this in as an effectual manner as possible, they convened a meeting of all the members of the Club, which took place in their Chambers on October 13th, .1879, and at this meeting, gentlemen pro* minent in tho history of the progress of tho colony, were invited to attend anil take part in its proceedings. On theproject being discussed as to its practicability, &a, officers were elected to carrj out the objects the meeting had in view. The officers so appointed ' were of opinion that on association should be formed, believing that the best land of the colony in accessible places, 13 not procurable in small lots or blocks, it prices to suit working men ; and combined actions of numbers were necessary to obtain large blocks from the Government, and they were of opinion that it was to the Government they should apply. Tho present Land .Act 1877 was "on obstacle in their way, and in order to make the project a decided success, it was necessary to have some clauses in said act removed, and other new clauses inserted. They therefore waited on the Government on October 16th 1879, and wero very courteously received -by Mr llollcston, the Minister of Lands, who, after hearing the deputation, assured them the project had the hearty , sympathy of the Government, and would receive their support. They were glad to support whatto them was a most important matter to the Colony, the question of the settlement: of the people on the waste lands, and that they would bring in. a bill to so alter the existing act as to meet the requirements of the Association ;. represented. ■; The Bill No. 31-3 is a practical illustration of their earnestness, and so far as we can see 1 at present of the clauses they propose to erase, and of the now ones they propose to insert in the existing Act, will entirely meet the case. We therefore felt justified, believing that we were but redeeming a pledge made, and fulfilling a trust reposed in us, in forming the Association arid issuing the prospectus now published in your columns. The directors will so try mid arrange the allotment of land by some system of ballot that shall be satis* factory to the majority of subscribers, and will so group them that the owners of what may be considered a bad lot in the rural block shall hate what may be considered a good lot in the town block, and vice versa. The directors will induce the Government to give them a preemptive right over a number of lots in each block, to bo held in reserre for futuro use by the Association, over and above the immediate demands of the sub-. scribers, and the proceeds from the sala of such lots, after deducting expenses incident thereon, may go to foster and encourage similar institutions. Should the land be obtained from the Government, nil cost of survey and blocking out the land will be incurred by the Government, and the only expense the subscribers will be called upon to meet, until the land be allotted to them, will be tho cost of advertising and printing. The officers of the Association will consider themselves amply paid if their efforts are crowned with*'success, and the Wellington Working JWfcn's Ulub have placed their offices at the disposal of the Association free of all charge of any -kind, and the directors are sanguine that tho interest derived from the bankers, the Colonial Bank of JN'ow Zealand, on deposits for shares, will more than meet alt liabilities so incurred. I have to ask sir that you will so assist the work \re have in hand as to. publish the clauses in the Land Act proposed to be orascd, and the new ones proposed to be inserted, which together with our prospectus, will convey to intending subscribers, all tho necessary information they may desire. Wo. McCullounh is appointed agent for the Association for the Thames district, and will give any further information required, and will gladly forward any suggestions that intending subscribers or subscriber in ay have to make with the riow to assist the directors in their work to their office. Working Men's Club, Wellington,—l am, Sir,. . ..-,.„ Yours Iruly, ,'."."'-. ; Henry It. Jcby. Wellington, No?. 24,1879.