LOANS FOR SPECIAL SETTLERS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4710, 4 May 1894, Page 2

LOANS FOR SPECIAL SETTLERS.

I Mr Hoqg and the Premier. Tho following correspondence on the subject of advances to Governmentle»seholders|andespeoiallyßpecial settlers has passed between Mr Hogg, M.H.R., and the Premier : Masterton, Aoril 20th 1891. Dm , 'member, that sessioa, in reply-io a deputation whlofi waited on the Government and urged that advanoea on the security of their improvements should be made to Government leaseholder, you pro--1 mised that when next Parliament assembled, steps in that direction might be taken, At a time when large numbers, with very little • capital beyond their labour, are trying to make homes in the bush, facilities for borrowing at a reasonable ) rate of interest, aro of no small importance. Tho great bulk of the members of Speoial Settlement Associatiom> are men of small mean's, They are only allowed to take up a t liuuted area-tho maximum being" ( 320 acres—on lease in perpetuity,and . as far as I can learn, the private , money louder, while prepared to ad- [ vance on freeholds, frequently rofuses , to advance on these leaseholds kowi ever permanent the character of the i improvements may be, Seeing that I within the past two years a larijß area . of bush country has been taken up by , these assooiationß.and tbat many of the , members are likely to become good Bottlers and large producers, if'they only , receive fair-play,! submit that iu the , interests of settlement and colonisation it would be woll for the Government to come to their rescue. At tho present moment freeholders can obtain advances without much difficulty from public or private sources, but the door is barred against the leaseholder. > Now, while he is felling the bush and grassing his homestead, the new sottler is terribly handicapped unless he has plenty of capital. For the first two or three seasons his land is unproductive, and, if he has a family to support, tho situation becomes most embarrassing, unless be oan borrow. I. am confident tbat a very large percentage of extremely desirable settlers will have to surrender their sections unless of the funds of , the State can be used for their assißttancc, Theainountwitbdrawn from the Trust funds neonl not bo very large, - and it could hardly bo moro usefully * employed than in helping the bush settler to tide over his early difficulties. The clearing of the land is an improvement for all time, which must " ie P r0 ~ perty, and constitutes an indefeasible security. Fences and homesteads may be consumed by fire, but every.fire raises the value of the land as.long as ajr timber remains, I feel confident that if the Government can only see its way to make advances to these leaseholders to the extent of only half the value of tho bushfalling and grassing, it will prevent scores of sections from being surrendered by families that would prove excellent settlers,

\ There i 3 another way in which these settlers can be assisted, viz: by putting the clearing of the roads to open up the blccka in hand as early as possible, and allowing the settlers,' who are telling on their own sections, to earn a little money by giving them a preferential right to the work. . Yours, &o„ A. W. Hogg. Hon. Tho Premier, Wellington. Premier's Office,' | Wellington, 24th April, 1894. Deab Mr rijo,—l am in receipt of |yonrlotterof'2othinst.,r«,aavancca ito leaseholders. As you no doubt will have.seen from the Press, and from speeches delivered by Ministers, the matter is receiving our consideration, and we trust it will be dealt with satisfactorily next session. As regards the work put down, on the roads by settlers,! hive referred your letter to the Minister oMJands. Youra truly, I ' ...'r?B, Jj Sbbjou,