THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 1880.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3493, 5 March 1880, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 1880.

Those persons who favour the disposal of the Waste Lands of the Crown upon the system of deferred payment, have a strong supporter in the person of Mr G. F. Robinson, the ranger of the Provincial district of Taranaki. He supports and approves of the system for the very good reason, that experience has shown him, in his province at least, that good has resulted from it, and the report furnished by him to the Land Board, a copy of which he has forwarded to us, gives a great deal of information. He says, referring to the Hiurangi district, sold on deferred payments in January, 1876:—" This block was almost entirely taken up by Germans and Danes, and they have very conclusively shown that they are a very desirable class of settlers to introduce into the country. Within the four years that they have held the land—and although they have had to build houses and erect temporary fences—they have actually cleared on an average over 60 per cent, of their holdings, and after deducting the required amount to cover the first inspection (made two years ago) they have made improvements to.more than 5h times the amount required to cover the present inspection. There is not one defaulter in the block, and every holding but one is occupied by the family. When it is considered that none of these settlers have more than five years; that they have came here as immigrants, having absolutely no money of their own; that since their arrival they have paid three instalments of the purchase money of their land; that on an average each one has made improvements on the land held by him to the value of over £150, and that while doing all this they have provided for their families, and in nearly all cases have purchased cows and raised stock; it will, I think, be freely granted that they are the proper stamp of settlers to bring into a new country, and especially into our bush districts. The progress is, however, so great and substantial as to satisfy even the most sanguine supporters of the deferred payment system, and, judging by the past, I anticipate that the late action of the Board in setting apart alternate sections on deferred payments will result in effectually opening up those districts, in ensuring good district roads, and in settling a largo resident population on the land." It must be very encouraging to the' Waste Lands Board of Taranaki to find such results from their administration, and this report should encourage the Auckland Board to proceed in the policy recently adopted by it in throwing open land under the system referred to. Another good feature mentioned in the report is that in the large majority of cases the deferred payment allotments are held by labouring men (more than half of them immigrants, brought out during the past four years), who commenced improving their allotments in advance of the cash purchasers, and who, in the majority of cases, were the first to occupy their lands by actual residence.We have reasonto think that a day will come when such a report may be written of the settlers in the Upper Thames, and trust that advantage will be taken of the facilities to be presently offered by the Lands Board. In contrasting results the report states that while 50 per cent, of the land sold under deferred payments has been cleared and grassed, only 17 per cent, of land purchased for cash has been improved—showing that more steady progres is made in a district by the class holding comparatively small areas than by the larger and wealthier holders of land. We commend Mr Robinson's report to the consideration of intending purchasers of laud upon deferred pay. ments.