The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 236, 12 August 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 1879.

. e At the late meeting held in the Town Hall, Masterton, Mr McCardle again brought before the public, the advantages of a Small Farm Assocsation, for settling waste lands. Wc believe this question is one that Mr McCardle has thoroughly mastered, and that he is strongly of the opinion that it is, at the prescn ttime, a vital point. We do not pretend to possess either the knowledge or the enthusiasm which Mr McCardle displays on this subject, but we admit

its great importance, and if we venture to criticise his scheme as far we understand it, we do so for the purpose, not of opposing it, but merely ventilating his proposals so that when all that can

be said for or against them has beei

uttered, the public may be in a positioi: to form a reliable opinion as to theii value, We can imagine that if ar association such as Mr McCardle advocates were formed, a working man might join it in order to secure, ultimately, a farm of fifty acres. Assuming that the present value of the land were £IOO, and it had to be paid for by instalments extending over seven years, it is evident that the investor

would have to pay a higher price than if he purchased the land for cash. Perhaps £l4O would be the actual sum he would have to pay by instalments and when at the end of seven years the purchase had been completed,' the periodical payments, with interest, would amount to £2OO. Simultaneously with the payments for the cost of the land the purchaser, in order to settle on it, and make a living, would have to clear, fence, and grass it down, which might cost another £2OO, So that at the end of the seven years, he would have a property of fifty acres, on which he

might settle, and make a living,, provided that he could find, possibly, another £2OO for building a cottage, and purchasing stock and implements. We rather doubt whether many working men could save out of their wages, £4O or £SO a year, to enable them to give up their ordinary employment at the end of seven years, and settle on land, If they had net their 50 acres, at the

time they went to live on the land, cleared, improved, and free from incumbrance, they would not have a fair

chance of being comfortably settled. Of course, prior to settling on the land, the improvements, as far as they were made, would produce a small annual revenue, but not one large enough to materially relievo the total amount re-

quired for the purchase and improvement of the sections, Another important part to be considered, is whether, assuming that settlement could bo effected advantageously under such a system, private lands would not be more

profitable for investment, than the virgin forests of the Forty Mile Bush. Land in private hands, fit for the plough, is now procurable at, probably, a less price than the bush land, when cleared, would cost. A suitable run in a district like the "Wharcama, might be purchased and subdivided by an asso-

elation with the same outlay .that would bo required for securing a block of waste lands It would be better for an Association to rely upon its own resources, and deal m the open land market, than to depend too much either on the Government or land boards, Wc might be, referral to successful settlements on the West Coast, such as Tedding and Sanson, as instances of waste lands being profitably developed, but in both instances, there was a supply of capital available, which might not be obtainable in all cases. At Feikiing, English capital made the settlement a success, and Sanson was settled by old residents in the colony, who possesed considerable private resources. But whether an association took up land from the Crown, or from private holders, the succcess or non-success of the move, ment would depend upon capital being available sufficient to develope the resources of the block which might be chosen, We are not at all certain that an adequate amount could be raised locally, and are rather disposed to believe that borrowed money could be profitably employed in a scheme like qlie one advocated by Mr McCardle. The two points which to our mind are

necessary to the success of such ■ movement, would be, iirtst, to send oui spies to the Whareama ilats, rathei than to the Forty Mile Bush, and secondly, to consider the advisability o:

using borrowed money for the more easy and certain development of any settlement which might be formed.

MrW, H. Levin las consented to stam for the City of Wellington. Mr Quid comes forward for the Ilutt.

Tlio usual monthly meeting of the Masterton Hospital Committee takes place this afternoon.

To-morrow, F. H, Wood and Co. hole an extensive sale of stock at the Featherston yards.

Mr J. Vile's name was iuadvertentlj substituted for Mr Wyllio's, in tlio Committee of the political association publishec ill onr issue of yesterday. The Groytown Volunteers held theii usual weekly drill last night, instead ol to-night, on account of the Hall being required. _Mr Bunny invites the electors to meet him at Featherston en Monday next, at Grey town on Tuesday, at Carterton on Wednesday, and at Mastcrton on Thursday.

The poll for the Mastcrton Riding was declared by the Returning Officer yesterday, as follows :-D. McGregor, 143; J. S. F, Holmes, 20; and Bhodes Donald, IG. '

_Wo notice that Mr J. Williams, sti tioner and tobacconist, has again opene in the handsome new shop," on his ol corner, and trust that lie will soon repai there, the losses lie sustained a few month ago, when his former premises were burni

A meeting of the Mastcrton Christys is convened for Thursday evening next, at the Prince of Wales Hotel, for the purpose of making arrangements for an entertainment to be given for the benefit of the Mastcrton Hospital, The Mastcrton rirc bell rung out a loud peal last evening, and in an incredibly short space of time it was surrounded by half the adult male population of the Borough. Fortunately a bucket of water put out an embryo fire in the Prince of Wales stabling, where a little straw had accidentally been ignited. A meeting was held in the Council Chambers last evening, to consider the desirability of dividing the Borough of Mastcrton into wards. The Mayor presided, and it was agreed that the opinion of the ratepayers should be taken on this question. A Meeting for this purpose, is convened for Friday evening next at the Town Hall. It is suggested that the Borough should be divided into four wards, north, south, east, and west, respectively, We will give the proposed boundaries more in detail in our next issue.