Village Settlements.

Auckland Star, Issue 153, 1 July 1887, Page 2

Village Settlements.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—l happen to be one of our Sir George Grey's "poor wretches" preparing to luxuriate on a 28-acre pumpkin patcli,_or otherwise known as a village (I call it independent) settler. I feel, sir, lilje.'Mrs Brown, who said if she did not ease her mind she must " bust;" and to avoid that sad catastrophe, which might indeed prove a big gooseberry for our local press, I have determined to pub my views upon paper. No one would pay greater homage than myself to our G.0.M., bub knowing that even England's G.O.M. has made mistakes, so is it possible that even Cur Sir George, his heart overflowing with love and 'well wishes for his beloved Netf Zealand, gives forth, too, utterances in good faith, but still falls short of that ideal that he would see others strive for. The words oi a public man are, I believe, public property, at least, so it has been ruled, and, knowing that, 1 wish to draw attention to a few (only a few) ma'deUy.him.with.respect to the Settlement Schewo tbafc lift attacks, with sunjv vigour, and (to use another ot Mrs Brown's remarks) " wenom." After carefully reading that part of his speech, I cannot but liken him (I feel sure he will pardon this familiarity) to a young gentleman at school who has provided himself with a sweet, tasty lolly whereby lie may win the affoc : tions of his more unfortunate playfellows. But there happen to be somo other boys who, according to the survival of the fittest, rule the roost, and they, wishing to perform the same kind action (presumably for their own benefit), prepare one of like flavour, and having the power in their own hands, steal a march, only to be met by the rebuke, " You are a bad lot of wretched boys, and I will say all the nasty tliugs I can nbout you on purpose to injur* you in the oyes of others. If ib had beea any other person besides Sir George, I think I should accuse him of sb doing. -SiuGeCrge's speech reminds me of a Christmasfpudding—l scarcely know where to cut first. There are so many plums thatrT sloukl like to extract that, to save my bacp (the waste paper basket), I must tuke a few at random, and as-this one is the mostconspicuous, refer to ib. Sir George considers it a very reprehensible action on the jjirb of Ministers in withholding the cnoimous amount of about LB.OOO this year, with its future expenditure of some L7QOOO (that is if every settler draw this allotted rations), as a terrible . : si|, worthy of all condemnation. But, sir, how often do we findthese so-called repfelpn..ible actions done, that tend to the gopejof bhe nation ? Of course, Sir George knows/ull well of that incident iii tho political life of England's late great chamolion mountebank politician, Benjamin Disraeli, who, lythout bringing it before Parliament, purcjased on his own authority (if memory serv?s me two million pounds' worth of Siez Canal shares. That, we all must.admit, proved itself to be of interest to England. jlad Sir George, languishing in the shadffi of Opposition, brought forward his bill, rp doubt we should have seen our represent&ives hanging out their toggery (oratorical suits) on the clothes line of Pailiairentary usage, for the admiration of our constituencies, etc.; bub I doubt very muc| sir, if Auckland district would have beeii able to say, what she can say now wth pleasure, that 560 men with their kmilies have left the labour market, levying the loaves that they would have requipd for the benefit of those left behind. Sii* George obmplains about the few thousand pounds laid out every year,—not washed, bufc, s lent-that will return bo tho pubic exchequer, either in the shape of money or improved land — bub would nob refer tqthe thousands spent in Dunedin and obhlr large centres for relief, that will leavethe recipienbs in bhe same position it fouid them. Yet, sir, another thought. Sr George, in a very bitter sarcastic mmner, states: "How much of it will bejrefimded ?'! I must confess, sir, those .fords deeply pained a "poor wretch." Bj what .right, I would ask, has Sir George so stand up and judge 560 of his fellow creitures '( 1 doubt very much if he has seenJone, and yet he stands up in .judgment ant accuses us, men who have taken up ouj respective lots (not ignorant of whabfis required) with the intention of deluding the Government in tho .futup. He likewise states that a man must be destitute, and have to pass through (the ranks of the unemployed, to Obtain these so-called benefits of this setjflement scheme. This I must repudiate. If Sir George would like to pass a few hour) in examining this thing thoroughly, let hili visit this place, and he can be shown nfcri who could return to Auckland and e&n a livelihood any day, bit. who have leK'tbe labour-market, with all its varying aspects and ever-changing vicissitudes, for I free and, what some have found already, A\ "independent life, and these men nay. conferrecUfl, maintain, a boon upon theY follow nip- I would, indeed, like f that our*? genial Sir George would! respect them as such, and nob insult their dignity by imputing "te bhem that which is nob the case. 1 Lastly let~i. ,( ? express my admiration for

Sir George Grey ; though I must differ from much that he has said, yet my earnest wish is that though life's sun is setting, he may be spared to accomplish much godfd yet for those whose welfare I believe he has close at heart.—l am, etc., J.T.P., Ngaruawahia.