THE NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2817, 2 August 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

• ■ TO TUB KIHTOIt. Sin,— The Otago Witness quotes from the Wellington Tost:—" One of the chief reasons why Messrs Newman and Bruce, M.H.R.s, conducted Ministers along the North Island railway route lately, was in order that they should see the urgent need for holding Native Land Courts without delay. Some Maoris, owning the Awarua block, about 000.000 acres of splendid limestone country, are anxious to sell their interests to the Government, but cannot do so until a Land Court is halcl. The Hon. Captain llussell agreed with this policy, and a Land Court has been gazetted, and will sit on the Ist ot next month (Jnlv), at Marton. The result will be, that directly the Court is over the Crown can buy threefourths of this splendid belt, including the magnificent white pine Forrest, in the Hautapu. When surveyed, this land will sell in small holdings as fast as it can be put into the market, and all the produce be railed direct to "Wellington." Sir, the above quietly ignores the existence of the Province of Auckland, and is suggestive of the tactics against which our members will | have to contend, especially if Sir 11. Stout I gets into power, and fulfills his promise to the Wellington people, to stop all work at the Auckland or northern end of the North Island main railway and push it on at tho tsouthern or Wellington end, which means that all that vast and valuable country south of Waikato which was at one time thought to be valueless but recent investigations have proved to be the makings of a splendid sheep country, shall be worked from Wollingtou and Palmerston North as a base of operations instead of from Auckland and Hamilton, and all trade will be so securely tied to Wellington that it will continue to go there long after the railway is completed and probably always. The assent ;-if our M. 11. U.s to permitting the Main North Island railway funds to be diverted from their lawful purpose I rogaid as only a method of tampering with trust funds, a form, nfpolitical embezzlement, even though it is said to be only as an advance to buy native lands, tho proceeds from tho sale of which are to go to repay to the railway fund the amount advanced. They will do nothing of the kind, as they are received they will be, as heretofore, used as ordinary revenno to provide Ministers with means to manipulate Parliament and people. Suppose the lands bought are disposed of under strict improvement conditions on the present perpetual lease system, as I sincerely hope they would be, one third would go to the local Government and the greater part of the two-thirds would be needed, and perhaps all; to pay the cost of the survey, official and other expenses. What a sum spread over 21 years would bo available to recoup the railway construction fund ! What a splendid prospect it opens for the early completion of tho railway during the latter years of the next generation I We do not want borrowed money to buy native lands to support a certain class of parasitic traders and publicans who pray upon the natives for the piice they are promised for them, but seldom receive. We do not want to see the natives depraved and made landless and penniless, and we ourselves little better than toiling serfs of London Shylocks. Excepting the lands actually wanted by the native owners for cultivations, let the Government arrange with the native hapus to lease for them all their lands at a fair perpetual rent, these lands would be open in moderate blocks under Government perpetual lease, to be taken either by colonists or individual Maoris. The] rents less a percentage to ewer interest on the cost of survey, and possibly on a small advance in interest bearing treasury notes to the hapus, and the cost of administration, would be paid to tho chiefs elected, appointed, or chosen by the hapus to receive them, who would divide it as the natives themselves decided and each native would get his share yearly or hall-yearly much more economically and easily in pounds shillings and pence than in acres roods and perches, which would be sold and squandered as soon as received, and sometimes sooner, and gone for ever, and ho become a pauper and an enemy to the Stato. I need not, in this letter, pursue the suggestion with details, but I am persuaded that the result would be that the cost of laud courts, surveys and officialism would be reduced, the native owners would be assured of a comfortable competence, theii inteiests and their hearty good will would become identified with the progress of colonisation, and settlement would proceed with astounding success and rapidity. Some such policy, I believe, timely adopted, might have averted much of our native troublo and consequent disasters and debt. It may yet do us and the natives good service. I have heard it said that if it comes to a case between Wellington and Wailcato, our member, Mr Uryce (I speak as a Waipa elector) would certainly not betray our interests, but it might be felt that his opposition to Wellington's schome may not be so vigorous as if ho were one of ourselves. Do not lot the small soulcd creatures, who are certainly wronging men's motives—suppose I am speaking a work for myself, as it is not likely to suit my business engagements to waste my time in Parliament—for I fear even with a reduced House and a dissolution next week, we will not find the marvellous improvement in a new House which some sanguine prophets predict. Much of the fault lies with ourselves, and it will take a long time and much earliest action to undo the corrupting influences to which our country has been too long subjected.—Yours truly, W.m. Anon. MuuiiAV.