Progress of Settlement in our District.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3528, 16 April 1880, Page 2

Progress of Settlement in our District.

It may not be generally known that during the "past few months there has sprung up in our immediate vicinity a thriving little settlement, which will doubtless ultimately be a prosperous village—we allude to the Wai papa block at Totara Point, on the Ohinemuri road. This block was purchased from the native owners by Mr Thomas Spencer for a nominal sum and by him disposed of to Mr John Hudson. This gentleman has exhibited great enterprise in prepairing the property for the purpose to which he proposed devoting it. He went to considerable expense in having roads laid out and surveying the block into small sections, then throwing them open to the public on the deferred payment system. His designs have .been crowned with most wonderful succesa, all the land being speedily taken up by some ten settlers, and the improvements already executed show that they are in earnest. A list of the settlers, their holdings, with a brief synopsis of the work done by each, may not be uninteresting :— Mr Moßoberts, 20 acres, land all fenced and in good grass; Air Anderion, 7\ acres, good house erected, land all in grass and garden; Mr Gribble, 8 aci'e« in grass, and partly fenced; Mr Billings, 20| acres, fenced, house built, and land in good crop of potatoes; Mr Sherlock, 21§ acres, partly fenced and cleared; Mr Evans, 10 acres, fenced, and garden operations commenced ; Mr Cor, 44 acres, house built, two paddocks enclosed, and a very good garden formed; Mr Hicks, 19 acres,, fenced and ploughed; Mr James, 44 acres, fencing and clearing commenced. The new settlement has in addition to the County road the roads laid off by Mr Hudson, which cost that gentleman about £40 in clearing, levelling, and making culverts. We believe that since the block was disposed of Mr Hudson has received several other applications for land, and he could easily have located as many more settlers had land beaa obtainable in the immediate vicinity of the Waipapa block at a reasonable price. The settlers are without exceptioa men of great perseverance, end although they do not expect much return from their little farms for a year or two, they are deter* mined tp wake them pay in the long run.

We know for a fact that one of the largest holders is a working miner, who trudges in every day from his farm to work in his mine. Such men are pre-eminently fitted for the settlement of our lands. Ooe or two lessons may be learned from the successful settlement of this land. Croakers there are amongst us who laugh at the idea of the people of this district asking for land, saying tbat even if it was provided none would be found to settle. The facts we have mentioned show tne fallacy of this belief, and we are firmly of opinion that all fair land within easy distance of the town, disposed of in the same manner as the Waipapa block, would be speedily and thankfully settled, benefiting those who are in a position to take up little farms, and adding greatly to the general prosperity of the district. /