Special Village Settlements.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 247, 20 October 1886, Page 3

Special Village Settlements.

(From a Cokresponpent.)

Taiieke, October 12. By dint of vory hard work, and much burning of tho midnight oil, Mr Adams, tho Government survoyor, lias linidliod laying out tho road through tha aottloment, which is intended to como out at tho landing on tho Taheko River. Wo aro also oxpocting by tho Oreti ordei"3 from Government to send in tenders for the making of tho road, which tenders we boliovo will bo oithor accopted or an alternativo prico olVored. From semi-official hints wo aro led to supposo that tho prices to bo given for this work will bo assimilated to what is now widely known as "relief works" for tho unemployed, in which cato the assistance grantod will certainly defeat its own object, which I tako to bo tho permanent settlement of our people on tho lands. What ie wanted U to give a fsirly remunerative prico equal to tho current prices of suoh work, so as to onablo tho villagers to earn onough by working three days in the wook on tho road to employ themselves during the other three days in tho cultivations which will h*vo to bo thoir chief support in tho near future ; and to nidko this i.rovUion it would bo wiso to limit trio road work to tho one half of the week. Mr .lohn Lundon has been about hero dining tho lost two or three days, and wo umle'stand that Mr Cavanagh has boon appointed Village Steward, and is to bo up hore today to assume his dutios. It had be^n supposed that eomo one of the rosidonts would have been appointed to tin* necessary office, on tho grounds that a sottler on tho block would naturally tjke a more active interest in the affairs of tho eottlemont,nnd, by having an intimato knowledge of each settlor's improvements, be bettor able to protccb tho intorests of tho Government. Mr Menzies, one of the Govornment engineering staff, formerly engaged about hare in liying out the main linos of road, has also boon here, and having acquainted himself with tho linanci-il condition of the now sottli jw, finds them generally in such a state of poverty, in tact absolute want, tvat un lesa a paternal Government will advance them both tools and food they will be utterly incapable of even commencing the work, much less carrying on until payday. Accustomed to moot such difficulties, Mr Menzies's sympathies will, it is to be hoped, take a practical form in proporly represent ing in tho right quartor a danger which, if not avoided, would prac ically wreck the village settlement scheme at the outset, seeing that no employment of any kind at wogos can be got here, and the gumfield is only just tit to Wirely keop a ro.an alive while actually digging. To this may bo added the neceseitv for camping out there, it being much too far to come and go or oven sco the land excepting on a Sunday. Most of the men here are busy putting up nikau wharcs ready for the temporary roception of their families, and it is very noticeable how they seem to value their roepactjve soctjons the more as they get better acquainted with them.