AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER & ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1872. " MEASURES, NOT MEN."

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 225, 23 May 1872, Page 4

AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER & ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1872. " MEASURES, NOT MEN."

The unholy pact between the Waste Lands Board and Mr, Clarke's agents has been ftjlfillecl. Nearly nineteen hundred acres qf tjie most choice agricultural lan4-**-lan,d that residents in th.c. Mount Benger district have been yearning for years to establish homes upon, and which $ie very men who bargained for its sacrifice to Clarke promised should be rendered available fop settlement—has fallen into the hands of a foreign land shar^. This result ! nee 4 oreate no surprise. It was fully expected by all men possessed of ordinary intelligence. The Waste Land Board was. warned over' and aver again that if the Jan 4 was disposed of in the manner stipulated by Clarke, it would inevitably fall into his hands.. Yet they entered into the agreement, and behold the result \ The Board cannot plead tturt it was mwwro.Qf'thQ cqr-

sequences of its action. It, after due consideration, with its eyes open, and after repeated warnings, entered into the agreement with Clarke-^-which agreement meant that Clarke wa& to have the land he wanted, but in order that the transaction might appear leas iniquitous than it really was* the wretched sham of a sale by auction should be gone through. On Friday last the sale was held— -Clarke being the ptirqljaser of nearly evepy gectipo. The only gleam of satisfaction in the whole miserable affair is that Clarke was forced to pay more than the upset price. But what boots a few extra. shillings per acre to the distriot that has been so shamefully despoiled 1 Very little of the money will ever find its way back to Mount Benger, The spirited competition for the various sections effectually disproves the statements so industriously circulated that the land sold was unfit for agriculture ; and also shows how unreliable Mr. M'Kerrow's report is. Judging from the prices realised, the land must have been really firstclass. Alen do not'pay &% £3, and £4> per acre for poor land. The sale also shows unmistakeably that there is in tfye Mount Benger district many possessed of means who are desirous of settling on the land, and that, had the block been offered for sale to bona fide settlers, the whole of it would have been disposed of at the upset price. Whether it would be more profitable to the country to have such an area of land of occupied by farmers orused as a sheep walk, we leave to the consideration of the Waste Lands Board. This 1900 acres sold last Friday is about the only block in the whole district available for settlement. The men who have waited for a chance of getting portions of it will now have to leave Otago, and enrich other countries by their labour and cash. The prospects of the Mount Benger district, once so bright, are now, by this last blow, darkened for ever. Let the people ofOtago, particularly those of goldfields, treasure well in 'their memories that one of the most flourishing and promising goldfields settlements in the colony was destroyed by men who obtained support and office by professing to be the advocates of the settlement of the people on the soiL

Intermixed with much good sense in the Financial Statement made to the Provincial Council, last Friday evening, there is a quantity of what may be very aptly described byj^ short word, the analogue of which is decomposition. Under this latter heading come the remarks on the Moa Flat sale, and also on the endowments to Municipalities. Mr. Reid, in referring to the Moa Flat sale, said that " it will be gratifying to the Committee to know, that in disposing of so large an extent of land for revenue purposes, only a very limited area fitted for agricultural settlement has been alienated." Now, in the opinion of men well qualified to judge, and who know the land disposed of to Clarke well, it contains a large quantity of land exceedingly suitable for settlement. While upon the subject of Moa Flat, Mr. Reid might have referred to the sale by auction of theT WOftacres excluded by the Waste Lands Board from the 45,000 acre block, which took place a few hours previous to the delivering of his speech. That 1900 acres, according to Mr. M'Kerrow, contained only a "limited area fitted for agricultural settlement ;" yet it fetched an average of 335. per acre. Perhaps, however, Mr. Reid was judicious in not mentioning the matter, as it would have spoiled the effect of the gratifying announcement, and perhaps caused unpleasant remarks. Hon. members will, however, now have the full particulars of the auction sale before them, and they will be able to estimate the value of the surveyor's opinion of the quantity of agricultural land alienated in the 45,000 i blqck. If his report on the quality of the 1900 acres is to. be taken as a criterion, his opinions can scarcely be considered worth the paper they are written upon ; and Mr, Reid's oongr&tutafcory remarks about "the^ limited area of lancl fitted for agri- . cultural settlement which has been alienated "at least premature. The Provincial Treasurer discreetly refrmnecl from mentioning that a large portion of the auriferous reserve on the bank of the Moiyneux was included in the block sold to Clarice. As this subject will dome before the Oounpil in a different form, we will not further comment upon it now, Passing over for the present some explanations of the figures appearing in, the statement of the revenue, and expenditure, and comments on the action of 'the General Government, we. cqme tQ the proposition, to

endow the municipalities with their local revenues, on oondition of their maintaining the main roads within their boundaries. The Provincial Treasurer said that this was a year of jubilee for the municipalities, and to confirm this statement, read a table showing the approximate amount of local revenue which the various municipalities will receive, and the expenditure on the main roads in eaoh during last year. The table places the balance in favour of the municipalities at £4590 10s. Od. But Mr. Reid omitted to state that the expenditure on the main roads in municipalities last year was exceptionally small,and that a compari- • son of the expenditure of former years would not be nearly so favourable to the municipalities. In fact, this generosity on the part of the Government savours strongly of humbtig. In many instances the municipalities will find that their local revenue will barely suffice to fulfil the obligations imposed by their acceptance of it, and to some it will be more a source of loss than profit. However, the Conference of Mayors agreed to the proposal ; and should it not turn out so well as expected, they cannot blame the Go /eminent. Mr. Reid's observation that it was impossible to fully expend in one year the votes placed on the Executive, suggests the inquiry what is the use of placing sums on the" Estimates if they cannot be expended. It certainly is a poor excuse for submitting estimates of expenditure in excess of the expected revenue ; and was a peculiarly unfortunate remark for Mr. Reid to make, as it, by inference, conveys that the Government agree to the placing of money on the Estimates for the purpose of securing support, without intending to spend it With the exceptions noted, the Financial Statement may be considered satisfactory. The actual receipts for the past year were, in many instances, in excess of the j amounts estimated. In the gofd revenue and gold duty there is a marked increase, affording gratifying proof that the mining interest is prospering. Mr. Reid does not appear to think .that the province will receive any further assistance from the General Government. Indeed he is of opinion that, if no subsidy is voted to road boards, and there is no allowance further than the 15s capitation grant, Otago will, instead of receiving, have to pay to the General Government, during the year, from £15,000 to £20,000. It is proposed to introduce a Bill for the purpose of giving school cornl mittees the power of levying rates, and to endow municipal councils and shire councils with their local revenues. The estimated income of the province for the present year is £267,000 ; and the expenditure £281,332 11s. 9d. ; and on works for which payment will made in land £33,755 ; or a total of £315,087 11s. 9d. Mr. Reid expressed his intention of making "both v ends meet," if the General Assembly will not give further assistance to the province than the capitation grant, by not expending the full amounts voted. He has also taken a leaf from Mr. Vogel's book, and submits a proposal for the disposing of the unsold lands in hundreds which have been open seven years at 10s. per acre. 184,164 acres will be available should the Council agree to the proposition. Mr. Reid claims for his Government the credit of initiating a " decentralising policy." This " decentralising policy," if it is intended to be a reality and not a sham, is of sufficient importance to | merit more than the cursory notice accorded to it. It is a subject of ileep concern to all residents in the ! province, and the necessity for such a policy is universally admitted. If Mr. Reid or any other man successfully establishes a system of local self-government which will supersede provincial • institutions, he will be the greatest benefactor New Zealand has ever known.