THE FEILDING SETTLEMENT.

ME. HALCOMBB'S EEPOET. The following interesting paper by Mr Halcombe, on the progress made by tho Emigrants and Colonists' Aid Corporation in the colonization of the Manchester Block, Manawatu, was laid before tho Provincial Council by his Honor the Superintendent, to whom it was addressed : — Wellington, May 17, 1874. Sir, — In compliance with your request, I have the honor now to forward for your information a report of tho progress made by the Emigrants' and Colonists' Aid Corporation iv the colonisation of the Manchester Block, Manawatu, under the terms of tho agreement with the Colonial Government, generally known as the "Feilding Contract." Understanding that your Honor desires to present this report to the Provincial Council, now in session, it may assist in making it more intelligible to readers not so well acquainted with the early history of the undertaking as yourself if I recapitulate briofly the origin and the terms of the contract referred to. During the period (some six years ngo) when an agitation in favor of emigration to tho Colonies was going oa in England, a society, called the Emigrants and Colonists' Aid Corporation, was formed by a number of noblemen and other influential men, headed by his Grace the Duke of Manchester. The titlo of the Corporation sufficiently explains the object of its formation, but no practical effect seema to have been given to the intentions of its members until, at the close of tho year 1871, the Hon Colonel Feilding, after visiting tho Australian Colonies, came to New Zealand, commissioned by the Directory to find a suitable field for colonizing operations. The result of Colonel Feilding's negotiations with the New Zealand Government was tho purchase by the Corporation he represented of the 106,000 acres of the Manawatu district, now known as the Manchester Block. Tho pvice agreed to be given for this block was £75,000, being at tho rato of 15s per aero for 100,000 acres, tho remaining 6000 acres being allowed for roads and reserves. Under the terms of Colonel Feilding's original contract and subsequent modifications, bills were given for (lm amount, bearing interest at 5 per cent., and maturing at different periods up to tho year 1882. The Corporation agreed to execute all internal surveys at its own cost, and undertook, under heavy money penalties, to introJuco 2000 immigrants iuto the Colony, and to eotlle upon its land 2000 statute adults before the Ist April, 1877. The Colonial Government on its part undertook to provido free passages from England to the settlement for tho Corporation's immigrants", and to employ a current 200 men on railway formation or other public works within ten miles of the block. The Provincial Government of Wellington also agreed to recommend to tho Council annually a grant in aid up to £2000 per annum, as nn equivalent contribution to an expenditure by the Corporation up to that amount on road works within Iho Corporation's boundaries. Owing chiefly to tho great change which has taken place in tho last eighteen months in tho position of the English laborer, and also to tho difficultiesnaturally attendanton starting in England an undertaking to be carried out at the other side of the world, activo colonizing operations under the contract cannot be Baid to have commenced until tho month of September, 1873, although a surveyor had been employed for more than a twelvemonth previously iv doing preliminary work ; and as agent to tho Corporation, I had erected in tho town of Palmerston a substantial building as a depot, for the reception from time to time of immigruuts in Iransitu. The pioneer party of immigrants sent out under the Corporation's auspices, arrived in tho Colony by the Duke of Edinburgh early in January of this year, and up to the prosent date, the following shipments have been made : — Arrived —

Making a total of 324J statute adults, numbering 458 souls. Before touching upon operations in the Colony, it may be well to describe the position and character of the land which is the field of operations. The Manchester Block extends from the Eangilikei river to the Euahine ranges by the Gorge of the Manawatu river. It is twenty rniiee in length by an average breadth of ei«hemiles. With the exception of about 12,000 acres of open land, tho block is covered with bush. Much of this bush ia towhai forest, very light, and easily cleared ; but there are also large blocks covered with very valuable timber — matai and rinm — interspersed with totara tree 3; and largo groves of magnificent totara occur in every direction over thn block. The soil i 3 uniformly neb, much of it being a deep alluvial deposit underlaid with fine water-worn shingle. Though tho country generally has a great fall seaward, and is therefore well drained, it has an apparent level, and the few rolling ridges will offer little obstacle to tho formution of roads and tramway? in any direction. Tho block 13 intersected and almost equally divided by tho Orowa Stream which runs north and south through a magnificent vulley, fully fivo miles wido, into which tho draimge from at least two-thirds of tho block finds its way, and which is full of magnificent timber. All over this valley water is obtainable in wells from ten to fifteen feet below the surface, and the block generally is very well watered and yet entirely free from any injurious flooding of tho stro.uns. The main lino of railway in course of formation from Wanganui to Wellington and Napier runs through the whole length of the block, and the tramway now open from tho Port of Foxton to tho Town of Palmeraton approaches within four miles of tho southern boundary, and its extension to a point well within tho block ia now iv progress. The town of Foildiug, tho present centre of operations, is situate on the railway line close to its intersection by the Orowa Eiver, and is reached either from the Foxton or the Eangitikei side by a good metalled rpad which runs within four wiles of ifc, and tho road over that four miles is being rapidly formed and metalled. The Corporation's immigrants are received as a rule at Wellington by myself, and while here tho lives of the heads of fumilies aro insured in the New Zealand Government Insurance Office for £100 oach, as a protection to tlie Corporation for their indebtedness, and us a provision for tho families in case of accident ; the first half year's premium being advanced by tho Corporation. Then they are forwarded by steamer to Foxton, at Government expense. At Foxton, they are received by an agent, and lodged for a night, if necessary, at the expense of tho Corporation. The next day they are forwarded, with thoir bedding, to Palmerston, tworty-five rnilea by tiamway, their hoavy luggugo following immediately. Arrived at Palmerston, they aro lodged in the depot built by the Corporation, which is capable of holding about fourteen families. Up to tho time of amval at Palmerston no charge is made against the immigrants, except fov the insuiance premium, and for ship's kits, if provided in England at the Corporation's expense. They remain at tho depot for a day or two until carts can bo got to convey them through to Feikling, a distance of eleven miles. Tbo immigrants are charged with tho cost of their rations while in depot, and a charge of 30s per family is made to cover cost of cartage of people and luggage through to tho settlement. Arrived at the settlement, each family has had up to this lime a boll tenfc supplied, in which thoy have Lo live till their houses aro ready, Now, however, as winter 13 approaching, I hare kud a number of A huts erected

of sawn timber for temporary accommodation, and after one or two more shipments I hope to have the small houses erected, iv anticipation of the people's arrival. The immigrants are supplied on the ground with all nocessary tools, cooking utensils, and supplies of food, which are charged at reasonable rates against their futuro earnings, and the men are at once set to work on road making, bush clearing, carpentering, sawiug, brickmaking, or bricklaying, or on any other work for which thoy may be best fitted. As I attach much importance to the immediate housing of newly arrived immigrants, and believe it to be essential to the full sue- 1 cese of a special settlement suck as this ; your Honor will, I am sure, pardon a slight digression to explain the plan which I have adopted with reference to this matter, and my reasons for incurring the expense. I tried to locato the Duke of Edinburgh immigrants at once on country sections of hind, and set them to build themsolvea temporary habitations out of the materials most ready to hand. A very few days' experience proved to me conclusively that such a course would be fatal to the prosperity of the settlement ; and that with so large a number as I had to expect to deal with, settlement under theße circumstances would be impossible. In the first place all my available land would be taken up at once, and it would be quite impossible to put immigrants into tlio bush before the road lines were cut. Secoudly, the separation of the people made their supply almost impossible, as well as thoir concentration on any work. Thirdly, their ignorance of the character of the materials at command, their unhandiness, and tho want of tools (unless they incurred a largo expenditure for them), and the fact that as a rule only one workman was available to build a Qhelter for each family, made it almost iiDpoßßiblo for them to erect decent houses in any reasonable time. Moreover, separation means isolation in n couutry covered with fern and scrub, or even flax, and the people lost their woy in moving about, and were thoroughly dispirited. Their utter ignorance of the character of the land made them select tho worst, or be discontented with the best sections j and I caw nothing but insurmountable difficulties to myself, great discontent and long discomfort to the people themsolves, and a waste of valuable time, and of some expensive material in the production of an utterly valueless shanty. I immediately resolved, therefore, to concentrate tho immigrants and thoir work about the town at first j to erect houses for them at once on terms easy to them, and productive of a fair return for the expenditure ; and I look forward to their removing out into the country as tho road works open it up, aiad after they shall have educated themselves into a knowledge of the country, their work, their prospects, and their real requirements. Acting on this determination, I entered into arrangements for the immediate erection of as many cottages as the timber I could obtain, and tho carpenters available would allow. There was much difficulty at first, as the timber had to be carted from Palmerston, a distance of cloven miles; and thi3 fact, with other disadvantages inseparable from working in a new place, made the first twenty cottages rather expensive. Now, however, that wo have our own saw mill at work, carpenters at hand, and bricks made on tho ground, lam able to lesson the expense, and ascertain exactly the cost of the buildings. Tho cottage, 20 xlO feet, divided into two rooms, weather-boarded, with shingle roof, and brick chimDey, I estimate to cost £32, and tho acres of township land on which they aro placed have an upset price of £10, equal to £42 in all. By a payment of 7s per week the immigrant makes cottage and ground his freehold property in three yea:s. If during that time ho may wish to buy it outright, or if he desire to remove to a country section, a sum equal to 3s 6J per week, during the timo of his occupancy, is deducted as rental, and tho balance goes in part liquidation of the purchase- money, or in part payment for the erection of another house on tho country neotion. I have every reason to be satisfied with the results of this arrangement. Tho immigrant gains in immediate comfort for himself and his family, and in employing himself in profitable instead of unprofitable work, while tho Corporation gains by his contentment and by remunerative investment of capital. I have no fear that the towns will be overbuilt. As one occupant leaves a cottage a newly arrived immigrant can bo placed in it j and I have found, as tho result of my experience in New Zealand, that tho groat difficulty in locating fumily men iv country districts is the want of house-room for them, and therefor.! llmt houses, where available, attract population. With ono exception — that of a stonemason whose brother in Dunedin made him so good on offor that I did not feel justified in forbidding bis acceptance of it — all the immigrants sent out by my Corporation have gone to tho Block, and of those so removed all but one family are settled there. I think this is satisfactory, as I do not make any attempt to coerce them, not wishing to have unwilling hands. Most of them are doing very well, and at tho last pay day many hud paid all their debts to the Corporation, and the weekly charge on their cottages up to date, and I think all or very nearly all, are satisfied with their position and prospects. As to the class of immigrants sent out — they havo been hitherto all laboring men, and I am on the whole well satirfiud with them. There is, however, as is likely to bo the case even with the moat caroful selection, a small percentage of people whom I would rather not havo to deal with, and who are a source of anxiety to me. But even os to these! am very hopeful, for I find that tho sense of present poesesaion of a house and land, and tho prospect of an independent futui-o for himself and his family which is here opened out to a man, has generally a great effect upon his character } and tho laborer who ill England merely worked for tho Saturday night and began tho world again on Monday morning, devotes himself to the accumulation of property, and is rapidly transformed into a careful and thrifty citizen. Tho map of the township of ITeilding, which I forward herewith, showing tho sections occupied by our immigrants and other residents, the houses builr, and the road work done, will, with tho series of sketches I also sond you — made a week ago by Mrs Halcombe — show the progress that has been made in the settlement, and when it is remembered that at the end of January, little more than three months ago, tho surveyors' tentß were tho only signs of life or work upon the place, wo may, I think, claim credit for tho progress made. Forty weather-boarded buildiugs have been erected in that time at tho Corporation's expense. Four and a half miles of roadway, most of it through dense bush, baa beoa cleared ; two miles of road formation has beon done, much of it very heavy work; three small bridges have been erected ; and I trust that before tho wet weather Bets in, the roads formed will havo been metalled, in which case our communications will bo fairly good during the approaching winter. The material for a large sohoolbouse and schoolmaster's residence has been prepared, and the buildings are in course of construction • and I havo just lot a contract for the erection of forty more houses to bo put up at the rate of five per week. I consider that tho first great difficulties of starting so great an undertaking ! have now been overcomo, and I confidently expect a great success as tho reßult of our operations. During the coming winter I hope to concentrate tho work upon tho formation of tho railway line from Feilding towards Foxton, under the Colonial Government, with tho view of the completion of railway communication between Feilding and the Porb of Foxton, within about eighteen months' time j and simultaneously it will bo my endeavor to open up tho Orowa Valley by a road and tramway line northwards from Feilding up to

tl/e Kimbolton road, anticipating the establishment of a timber trade as soon as railway communication shall bo established with Foxton — a trade, the extont of which will be limited only by tho capacity of the shipping at Foxton to carry t.he timber away. While on this subject I may observe that I look upon tho timber of the Corporation's block as a far more valuable crop than the land will ever hereafter atone time carry, and ono which, if properly worked when the means of carriage to Foxton and Wanganui by railway shall be established, will bo a source of very large revenue to the Corporation, besides being the means of employing a numerous population for many years to come. I may also state for your information that the tramway which I propose building up the Orowa Valley to the northern boundary of the Manchester Block is but tho first step towards tapping tho almost inexhaustible forests of timber which stretch as far as the eye can reach for many miles beyo"d on either side. As to the general plan of our future operations, I gladly take advantage of this opportunity to explain it authoritatively so far as tho scheme has been matured. We propose to Bottle the block from three nnin points — 1. From the town of Feilding, which is the natural centre of our block, and which is, I think, likely to become the chief town of tho Manawatu district. 2. "Prom a town which will shortly bo laid off on tho railway line, near the Rangitikei River, which will, by desiro of my directory bo called Halcombe. 3. From a town, also on the maiu railway line, somewhere near tho Gorge of the Manawatu. The order in which these places -will be settled must depend chiefly on the direction in which tho railway formation shall be carried on. So far as lam ablo to judge, tho completion of the line to Wanganui from Foilding must naturally follow tho completion of the line to Foxton, so that tho Kangitikei end of the block will be next operated on, leaving tho G-orgo end until the junction with tho Wellington and Napier lines through the Manawatu Gorge shall be taken in hand. It is tho intention to deal with tho land at tho rate of 20,000 acres per annum, if that is compatible with a clue regard to the utilisation of tho masses of timber upon it. The lands will be surveyed into town allotments of from a quarler-acre to ono aero each. Suburban allotments of from five acres to twenty acres, and country sections from forty acres to 200 acres. Alternate blocks of about 1000 acres each, it ia intended to dispose of to our own immigrants and some others for actual occupation on tho deferred payment system, charging a light rental and giving a right to purchase at a given orico at the end of from Beven to ten years. Periodical auction sales, the first of which will probably be about November next, will bo mado of tho intermediate blocks (amounting to. 10,000 acres) and a certain number of town and suburban sections. These sales will be for cash. In all cases the best blocks of timber will be reserved from sale, as it is the intention of the Corporation gradually to establish an extensive timber trade for tho supply of the West Coast towards Taranaki, and for export from Wanganui and^ Foxton. Tho prices fixed upon the land will, to some extent, depend upon circumstances whioh it 18 impossible to foresee, and they will vary according to situation and quality and the timber upon the various sections. The present upset price of sections in the Feilding township is from £10 per acre for outer sections, to £25 ouch for quarter-acre sections in central positions. At present I am only allowing land to be taken up on condition of immediate occupation. With this restriction, the most expensive allotments aro fast being disposed of, and I should have no difficulty in selling the whole town at onco at the upset price were I to remove that restriction. Tho up3et price at auction of suburban sections will probably bo from £5 to £8 per acre, and of country lands from £2 to £4 ; leased lands will bo charged from 2s 6d to 4s per aoro rental with a right to purchase at from £3 to £5 at the end of the lease of seven or ten years. Of course, in fixing these prices the Corporation contemplates a considerable expenditure in road work, which will, in all cases where practicable, be done in anticipation of ealo and settlement. : What with the railway formation at present, tho timber supply when tha railway work is finished, the formation of internal roads and tramways, the cultivation of tho land when tho timber ia gone, and the manifold industries which a population creates for its own supply, I see no reason to fear that for many years to come there will not be ample and remunerative employment for a very largo number of workmen; and when the Manchester block shall have been stripped of its timber, a eimilur process of colonization car> riod on over tho adjoining lands will long continue to suppoit far more men than the terms of the Feilding contract contemplate the introduction of. I foar, sir, that the length of my remarks may weary you ; but the interest of tho subject; and tho importance to tho Proviuco of tho success of this colonizing experiment must be my excuse. luconclusion, I trust you will allow me to express my sense of tho generous consideration I hivo always met with at tho hands both of tho Provincial and General Govornmonts in tho execution of tho dliffi'ult work which has boon confided to my charge, — I have, &c, A. Foilett Ualcombe, Agent Emigrant and Colonists' Aid Corporation.

Per Duke of Edinburgh 23fc statute adults „ Salisbury 45& „ „ Ocean Mail ... 79 „ ' „ S.S. Mongol ... 14£ „ „ Woodlark 52 „ „ Golden Sea ... 50 „ „ LaHogue (en route) 60 „