The Wairarapa Daily MONDAY, MARCH 24, 1890. A COLONISING MINISTRY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3467, 24 March 1890, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily MONDAY, MARCH 24, 1890. A COLONISING MINISTRY.

The Wanganui Herald iu a recent article, in ' which it summarises the road requirements in that district, declares that from what it it will be seen that certain lines way be made available- at a comparatively small expenditure of money to convey the produce of no less, than three million acres of land, most of it of the finest pastoral quality, to the port of Wanganui. for shipment. The settlement of this country does not mean merely a local advantage, for it' appears a rich mine of wealth to tho export trade of the colony, A colonising Ministry would certainly not negleot bo great an opportunity to bring within the area of settlement the whole of this country, The general argument of the .article to which we refer goes to. show the benefit which the town of Wanganui would derire from the opening up of bach country. ■ Our contemporary's viow is, porhaps,' a selfish one, but it would be well if the towns of the colony realised more fully than they do at present that their .prosperity depends less upon lino city structures and handsome streets than it does on the unmade up-country roads, which keep back the growth of settlement and limit the produce of the land, which virtually: ltodps all'and pays for all. In this district, as in Wanganui,l there is a large area of back country, wliioli, is even superior to that land of which our contemporary boasts, and we quite appreciate the blessing of a colonising Ministry. Much is being dono, bul more might , still be accomplished if the : work of settling land were in the hands of practical men-if, for instance, counties were empowered to dispose of the waste lands within their boundaries. The supply is, perhaps, on the whole fairly .equal ;to the demand, and it would-be as great a mistake to place toQtpgh of, it in the market within auy given year it would be to offer too little, ■ Wherever tee may be, as in the bush districts of the North Wairarapa and Fahiatua Counties; an active , demand for sections struct ' PjrliAjis the • main obstacle to the successful Battlement of land, comes from tjie political party with' which the' Wanganui Herald is assootod-a party which is incessantly engaged iji agitating for unwise charges in. tlje; conditions under • wliioh liirid may be taken up. A man who ventures his little all, not only his small capital, but the labor of himself and his wife, and the future of his family, in a busli section,_ deserves the land that hehas to clear and sow at almost a nominal price; he also needs a secure title and as light taxes as possible., Under suoji copaitjpps the game is worth' the candle, but if lie has to pay a, high price for his land, if he is liable to Jiavo his tenure disturbed by some fanciful alteration in the law, cr Jiis. taxes doubled op trebled by some new fiscal departuM like that wliick. Henry George advocates, his cliauces of Buccees see not assured: The most serious hindrances to the progress of settlement are the political changes that are'evor being threatened. Every time some new scheme is iu the Atmosphere, settlers are told that the result must be ! in their favor, but nine ohanges out of ten leave them simply in a worse position than they were before. Take a bush pettier five end twenty year?

a go. J He bougWliis lawUslraigW at . ten shillipgH We, and: paid'but ofo. |irtot' taxJ-tHlevy ot the Road /Board, in wlitoh His pro? P,erty'-was/sitfiated—and lie dispensed clieorfullyj because liis rate, with nu equivalent subsidy from the Provincial Government, were spent at bis own door, and frequently found him eonvenient.'.em'-' ployment,at ai elack ,time. f He, pjiid no property/.ltadior income' tax, and a county rate was in -those-days unknown',, In those days the conditions of'settlement were distinctly more favorable than thoy . are now. If any changes were made now, we would recommend settlers to agitato for the conditions'■ which obtained wider the old Provincial fegiyic;• 'to go back 'instead, of, foi'ivard.;,xTeri shillings an acre is enough to pay for bush land, aiid at least half that amount should bo- appropriated for road Construction.- Settlement on this basis would be in the best interests of ' the colony and of the working nian.