FORTY-MILE BUSH SETTLEMENT BLOCKS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 420, 22 March 1880, Page 2

FORTY-MILE BUSH SETTLEMENT BLOCKS.

To the Editor of the Wairabapa Daily.

.Sib,—lt is understood soita of these blocks will be in the ' market shortly for ; settlement on the defeired ciple, andit is very necessary ev'eiy, caution should be taken for getting;-them .disposed of to the best advantages-Years ago I did not .hesitate to give, it as-.my opinion, through the columns ,of your / predecessor, that these •lands .were one of the principle- maiiistays?oLtlia|provincial : district, and ■ theVthe "Proximity of Mai-terton.-M a commercial , centre,.gave. it special interest in their' faithful aaminis- • , tration. i'Two .months ; continuous';' residency on the land, facilities for making observations',;;; have ; ten4ed>t9: confirm'- that.-o^m : '.'. : Mff these circumstances Iwould earnestljrm- : vite you to give the whole >ubjebt.'.y6ur. serious consideration, and, I have no hesitation in saying, 'that .some of your best known citizens, Such -as, Mr W. W. JSlc- - Oardle, Mr Renall, Mr R. G. Williams; Mr McGregor, &c. j- will readily second any movement you may make in the mat ter. i

As a preliminary step it is very requisite that the public at large—more especially intending purchasers—should have reasonable facilities for acquiring full information regarding the nature, quality, position, &c,, of the different sections, together with facilities for lodging appli? cations. If my memory serves me right; our Waste Lands Legislature'anticipates, either in whole or in part, these requisites* lam speaking from memory,- when ,I say the Act of 1876 provides that District Land offices may be established in localities conterminous to the blocks, with sub-commissioners authorised to receive applications and perform other furiotiohs preparatory to the sale. / This jjran adaptation of the Waste Lands Act of the late Piovince of Otago, and from personal knowledge it. t was of very great service in the admimitration of the'deforced payment sections of.that province. The plan followed-waS to establish a sub-office in the township adjoining the land to be. disposed of, appointing as a presiding , officer some one personally "acquainted with the land—the surveyor, if practicable. By that %4ns ~ the fullest possible information was obtained by the parties interested, hence,the suscess of the deferred payment system in Otago. What I would suggest for consideration is, that an office of this kind should be established in Mastertori, and that some one personally acquainted with the land be appointed officer in charge. Either of the surveyors, Mr P. C. Frasi, or Mr A. D. Cowan, t would be-the. most eligible—in fact the only 'eligible parties that could be found. : Of Frasi's qualfications there can be no doubt. • Cowaiiy" I do remember, gave an adverse opinion some years ago, to the Small Farm Association, of the character of the land in the Mangaone Block, whiolr has not been } ■borne out; so. far as. observation;goes,' token from the new line of road" from Ekatahuna to Alfredton.- Having gone over the block,.however,, back from the' rpad line, I am in a position to say that, his report was as a whole, ■Btriotlycorreot, and that, the information he gave right, that the Makakahi, or as it is kriown-here the Pahiat.ua .Block, is by far-the.beat of • the two, I mention that part in justice ■ to Mr Cowan, and to correct remarks I-have-lately heard on the subject What I would suggest is that, the matter should be taken in hand-at once, by,- ■" say' the committee of the Small Farm Association of 1876,. and.that a.memorial on the subjeot be forwaded to tjie SKnis- ' ter of Lands. ' lam, &c., .. R. Oakrick, Ekatahuna, 17th March, 1880. • . ;