EARLY WAIRARAPA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 August 1940, Page 4

EARLY WAIRARAPA

FORMATION OF SMALL FARM ASSOCIATION

Late Mr Joseph Masters’s Efforts

NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT

Under the caption of “A Short Account of the Wairarapa Small Farm Association,” by Joseph Masters, M.P.C., a letter appeared in the "Wairarapa Daily” on August 12, 1881, addressed to the electors of the townships of Greytown and Masterton. As the letter throws some light on the beginnings of the association and is of general interest, it is reprinted below:

Friends and Brother Electors, —As the time will soon arrive when the information I possess relative to the Small Farm Association will not be available, except in print, and as an attempt has already been made by interested and designing persons to conceal what is really the truth, I am induced to put, in a permanent form

what it is right you should know, and that your children should not forget and that which, at some future day, you oi’ they may have to act upon, if you are desirous to maintain your own rights, and to have your children educated at a small expense. If there be any difficulties in your funds being properly appropriated now, what will it be in twenty or even in ten years’ time? Pledging myself, then, for the accuracy and the truth of the statements contained in these lines, I claim your nelief with confidence when I - show you my endeavours and labours from the commencement. However, there is one ciass and that far from an unimportant one, akhough small, at whose nands I may expect to receive anything but kindness. I allude of course to a set of persons who with great activity and self complacency are accustomed on all occasions to present themselves to public notice. By this body I shall be constantly followed with misrepresentations, vehement abuses and affected contempt. In the beginning of the year 1853 I had an interview with the then

Governor, Sir George Grey, and as he was about to introduce new land regulations in accordance with a despatch received from Earl Grey, the then Colonial Minister, directing him to ascertain the opinion of the colonists as to the propriety of setting aside the Australians’ Land Act and reducing the price of Crown lands in this colony; at the same time expressing his own opinion that the minimum upset price might be most advantageously reduced from £1 to 5s per acre. In order therefore to strengthen Sir George Grey’s hands, as there was a

very great deal of opposition, George Moore, Esq., drew up a petition which I undertook the charge of and which I delivered to the Governor numerously signed, at the same time suggesting that- the man with small capi- ‘ tai if only possessed of £2O should be allowed to invest as well as the man of £lOOO. Sir George Grey agreed with me and said he would put it in the Land Regulations of which shortly after he sent me a proof sheet and called himself at my shop to see if that would

suit me. I said: “No. I want a block of not less than 25,000 acres set apart through which the main road will pass so as to give employment to the new settlers.” Sir George Grey then said: "If you will go and take it at Ahuriri I will set apart 100,000 acres.” This I declined, stating that I had a great respect for Wellington and should prefer it in the Wairarapa. Sir George Grey said: “The Government have no land there but if you could induce the natives to sell such a block 1 will send Mr McLean to purchase it.”

I therefore at once got a pack-horse with tent and other articles and got Mr H. Jackson to go with me as interpreter, calling at the residence of Mr Borlase on our way to Ngamutaua where we had a long conversation, part Maori and part English. However, we made Isaiah understand, who conversed with Richmond, the chief, who said: “If it be true what this man says, we will get the natives to sell this land.”

In order to ascertain the truth the old man ordered his son-in-law Isaiah to go down to Wellington and I went with him to see his Excellency. Isaiah was satisfied and said he would use his influence to induce the natives to sell the land I wanted. Sir George Giey put his hand into his pocket and took out a quantity of sovereigns which he handed to Isaiah to pay his expenses, saying that Mr McLean would be up in a few days and would pui chase the land for Masters. A public meeting was shortly afterwards called by me in order to form a committee to assist me in whose name Sir George Grey had promised to invest the 25,000 acres. The comP?n teG in con i un ction with Mr W Allen drew up the rules which were consideerd only temporary as the Governor had got a Hundred Act passed which we expected to bring in foice as soon as there was the required number of settlers. Mr McLean, having succeeded in making the purchase, Sir George Grey sent for the Honourable Mr Tollemache. Dr Featherston and myself The Governor said: “Mr Masters, I nave ascertained that Mr Tollemache is the only person who could injure your scheme, and he has promised me that he would rather encourage it ” and Mr Tollemache said: “Not one tarthing of my money or scrip shall be brought into operation in that part or the country you have chosen.” I thanked him, and Sir George Grey addressing himself to me, said: “Mr Masters, I am proceeding to the Cape of Good Hope in a few days, and Dr Featherston has promised me that he will assist you in all that lays m his power.” Dr Featherston said’ ' I will.”

I am happy to say Mr Tollemache honourably kept his word. The committee at first consisted of the following: Messrs Masters, Allen, Carter, Jackson, Renall, George, Luxford, P. Trotter and Braithwaite. The latter three however declining to act, left the remaining five as a committee’. I then proceeded up to Wairarapa with a deputation consisting of Messrs Chew, Tocker, Jackson and myself to meet Captain Smith, R.A. We met

Captain Smith, and I pointed out the site for the farthest town, and we

adjourned to Adam’s Whare; he was present during our discussion. I next pointed out the site for the first town, but the association having no funds, I went to the Land Office, and paid £5O for the farthest town to float the scheme. Mi- Corbett was engaged to commence the survey but the committee had to advance him £25 to buy an instrument before he could commence. As soon as the farthest town was

surveyed, we commenced receiving deposits for membership. Up to December 6, 1853, I received £62 which I handed over to Mr Allen. There were 36 subscribers to this sum who never became members; for according to our by-laws each member had to show that he had purchased his forty acres from the Government, for which Mr Lewis gave him a printed receipt with his signature. The names of those who I believe paid £l, towards educational purposes, and I believe never intended to be members are: — The Revs H. Creed, J. Watkin, Messrs F. Boulton, Browne, Harvey, Horner, C. Howe, J. Howe, Hunter, Mace,

Milson, Minifle, Mitchell, Quin, Serd, Somerville, Tuke, Waitt, J. H. Vallance, R. D. Wallace, J. J. Watkin, Junr., Burton, Crawford, Loxly, Weaffl.n; the remaining eleven forfeited. Twenty acres in each township were given by the Government, not to the association but to the inhabitants generally.

Mr Corbett finished surveying the Town Lands and had nearly completed the suburban land, when the natives interfered and the lower portion of the sections were cut off by the Government. The committee then employed Mr Hughes. However, he had not proceeded far before he ceased work, and demanded a guarantee of payment from me. I was not able to give him a guarantee without consulting Mr Perry, my partner, but he saw Mr Perry, who went to Mr Dillon Bell, the Land Commissioner, who agreed that he should be paid in lands as the Government had no funds. At this time I was in the Wairarapa and at the request of the committee,

I undertook to see each section, as far i as possible, and get a fair share of bush land. This was in October, Novemi ber and December, 1854. On March 4, 1854, the ballot took place for number and choice of town acres, which | was also to be the number for subur- ' ban sections. Afterwards at the din- ; ner Mr Allen in the chair said: — ; "As Mr Masters is the founder of the scheme it is only fair that he should have the honour of naming the first town.” I arose and said: “As Sir George Grey had treated the

scheme so graciously, it would be only due to him to name it Greytown.” Then the chairman begged the honour due to him as chairmanr, of naming the next town Masterton, after the founder of small farms in Wairarapa. Mr Hughes was continuing the survey on the Taratahi, January, 1855, when we had the great earthquake, which blocked up the passage over the Rimutaka, and the Government was unable to make roads, both for want

of men and money. This delay naturally damped our progress. About this time I asked Mr Allan what he had done with the £25 I had collected for educational purposes; he replied, “I have purchased the forty-eight acre belt at the back of Greytown, which I consider some day will be a good endowment. All parties were friendly then and Mr Jackson proposed me as a member of the Provincial Council for the Wairarapa, and I fought hard to get a bridge over the Waiohine, when one of the Government members asked me if I would vote for another loan of £lO,OOO for light-

houses, £5,000 for Wanganui bridge, £lOOO for the Waiohine bridge. I said: “That is what I am fighting so hard for.” Mr Renall, then member for the Hutt, voted for the same side. I was upbraided by the Opposition for selling myself to the Government. The session closed, however, and Governor Gore Brown, by the advice of his Ministers, refused sanction to the Bill. The superintendent called the council together, and I went down expressly to support the Government I called at the office of the Provincial Secretary, Mr Fitzherbert, to endeav-

our to get the road open for carts. Mr Fitzherbert desired me to call at two o clock and the engineer would be there. Accordingly I met Mr Ray, who persisted in saying that there was not sufficient funds, he wanting to make a good road 11 feet wide. I said: According to your own account you have sufficient to make an 8-foot road and we will be satisfied with that,” and Mr Fitzherbert ordered it to be done at once.

Shortly after this I induced Mrs Bannister, then Mrs lorns, to act as postmistress at Masterton, Mrs Moles at Grey town and Mrs Hales at the Tauherenikau Hotel, all without pay I afterwards saw Mr Hoggard, the chief postmaster and furnished him with a list of all the residents in the Wairarapa. Mr Hoggard courteously entertained the matter and Mr C. Cundy offered io carry the Wairarapa mail bag for a time gratuitously. Thus was our mail first established.

Soon after this I heard to my surprise that Mr Carter, a very active and useful member of the committee, had been appointed trustee when, according to the rules, a trustee should have been appointed by the association for each town, in fact all the inhabitants at this early period were all members. My informant, Mr Allen, also told me that as Mr Carter had been illegally appointed he would not give up the accounts to him.

Some time afterwards I met Mr Jackson and asked him how he and Mr Renall came to make Mr Carter sole trustee. He said: “We three .01 med the majority of the committee and we could do as we liked.” The whole transaction was thus carefully kept secret from the association. Mi Jackson, in one of his letters, says: “I also deemed it prudent not to inform cither Masters or Allen what had transpired as they would attempt to thwart us.”

At this time politics ran high, and it was on political grounds alone, in

my opinion, that this step was taken

Mr Jackson continues: “When Mr Carter went to Auckland, as our member, he got Sir George Grey, by an Order-in-Council, to legalise all that we had done, which proves that we acted right and for the best.” It may be for the best, but the association and electors of Greytown and Masterton never heard a word of it until they saw it in Mr Jackson’s letter.

It may be “for the best” but where secrecy is resorted to it looks very suspicious. “But,” says Mr Jackson, “Sir George Grey by an Order-in-Councill” —this must be a falsehood, for at that time Sir George Grey had been nearly two years at the Cape. “Masters,” he again says, “and others desire to get this property out of Mr Carter's hands and the only reason adduced by them for taking away the trust is that he is absent in England.”

Now I think this is a very good reason; but as regards Mr Carter as trustee I have far more confidence in him than I have in Renall and Jackson put together. My object all along has been to show that the property is not the exclusive property of the association, and I believe Mr Cartelholds the same opinion, but of the inhabitants of Greytown and Masterton for educational purposes. When the gentlemen in Wellington who had become subscribers were applied to for the money they gave it upon the understanding that it was I for educational purposes and not for! the benefit of the members of the I association alone but for the benefit I of the inhabitants of the township generally. The object of I lie Bill introduced by Mr Bunny was to secure the property to the association now numbering thirty-four individuals, thirteen of whom are old men; so that in 10 years the few remaining will care very little about, education. Mr Carter’s name is left out of this Bill which Mr Bunny presented on the Tuesday; it was read a first time at once, ordered to bo read a second time the following day and to be printed, and went through committee on Friday | when Mr Bunny moved the third reading.

I rose and said: '‘The Members are not aware of what they are doing; they are dealing with the private pro-

perty of the inhabitants of Greytown and Mastertonj

It was not upon the merits of the Bill that I rose to stop it but because it had been introduced secretly—never advertised it in the "Mercury” or the “Independent”—nor was any public meeting called to discuss it. Surely where a Bill is introduced affecting private property the owners should at least know all about the matter.

According to Mr Hare’s calculations, the property is worth at least £4,000. But what will it be worth in ten years, if we make any progress? Mr Hare further says: “J. E. Smith in his legal opinion states that ’The Small Farm Rules cannot be departed from.’ ” I cannot see Mr Hare's object in publishing this except to show that his party are emanable for having broken every rule.

1 have heard it' said there never was a law made to bind dishonesty. Take our Bankrupt Law as an example, and many others where property is at stake. I gave the West Hallam case as an example.

The Rev John Scargill, Rector of West Hallam in Derbyshire, built a school in the seventeenth century for fourteen poor children and .to each i scholar he ordered to be paid ninepence weekly. The property had greatly increased in value and the bequest was grossly abused. In January, 1824, the inhabitants sent a petition to the Lord Chancellor, praying that the school might be referred to one of the masters in Chancery. This was done, and the result was that, instead of twelve scholars there are now sixty-four; and instead of ninepence weekly, they are clothed; the master's salary, from £lO and a miserable dwelling, increased to £BO per annum, which I am given to understand has since been increased to £lOO, with a good house. An excellent school for girls and infants, capable of accommodating one hundred children. has been established. 1 mention this case io show that : trustees require looking after, as they 1 are not always honest. Dulwich College to wit. I hope, therefore, the inhabitants of the two townships will endeavour to get this matter placed on a satisfactory footing when the Assembly meets.

The rents go on increasing yet the people be taxed for education, which would be quite unnecessary if they had their rights. The rules say that the property should be handed over by the Trustees to the Wardens, for the benefit of the towns; that, means the inhabitants generally. From the funds obtained from this property. I hope to see a good school house arid good dwellings for the masters erected. —Yours faithfully. JOSEPH MASTERS. Wairarapa. May 24. 1870.