CORRESPONDENCE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XX, Issue 2847, 27 June 1892, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE

Ist, As to the names of ihe settlers. I 2nd, The amounts paid by suih settlers. 3rd, That in consequence of the great de - preciation in the value of Lands since the date of pale, the Government allocate tho small block ra irked Stewartstown, pro ra td, to the various settlers whose names and amounts paid shall be ascertained by you' officers. — I have, the honor, etc. , Gbo. Vkskt Stkwabt. (Selector To Puke J The Hon, Minister of Lands "Wellington.

Sib, — I notice my letter of the 22ad has awoke the Chairman, of the County Council, and excited his curiosity aa to the personality of myself. Poor Settler. Iv the first place he has committed a breach of etiquette in asking for my name and answering my letter in the same epistle, and thus still giyes me liberty to use my non de phtnie. I have also other reasons for not giving my name, as I fear by doing so I would have my personal appearance against me, being a di'miuu- j tive mary of a very bashful disposition, and J as such would suffer at the han3s of the County Chairman. In his letter of the 24th he says if I am a townsman I am doing something like " looking a gift horse in the mouth," for if Thompson's track is m.ide the Borough will not pay a penny, thus insinuating- that the Borough (burgesses) have no say in the matter, and disposes of the townspeople with a stroke of his pen ; but if such is the case why are the poople in the Borough asked to sign the petition in favour of Thompson's crack. The Chairman goes on to say, " Now let us look at the pros and cons," but I fail to see any pros and cons in his letter to look at. We all know there is a good ho'el at Te Aroha ; good dinners and whisky, good roads fenced on both sides (very nice for novice stock drivers), and all this to be reached \y widening the bush track for eleven, ruilea. So much for Thompson's track. Now the County Chairman tells us that the Kaimai- Cambridge road is to 3 expensive to make ; three expensive bridges would ha?e to be built ; from fifteen to twenty miles of bush road widened, and that the nearest town is distant 50 or 60 miles. He has carefully considered the matter, and decided that Thompson's track is the one for us. Now, Mr Editor, has the Chairman contradicted or challanged any one of the main points in my letter of the 22nd? I maintain, not one. I will now give the correot distances on the respective j tracks and you will note that they do not agree with those quoted by the .County Chairman.— ■-■/■• - Miles. Tauranga to Te Aroha (Mr Pratts* figures „ „ , f „ 42 Te Aroha to Hamilton, by rail „ 38 Hamilton to Ohaupo „ „ 10 Total „ „ 90 Tauranga to Manga whara station 33 Mangawhara to Cambridge , « 20 Cambridge to Ohaupo „ „ 11 Total . 4 .. 84 You will note that we are nearei to Ohaupo (the stock centre), by the Kaimai-Cambridge road to the extent of 20 miles, and driving time for stock on the two roads to Ohaupo will be, — Via Te Aroha, 5 days, and via Kaimai. 3^ days, clearly showing 1% days in favour of the latter. The Chairman is wrong in saying there is no paddooking on the Kaimni road, as there is a paddock available for every night spent on the road. Further I would point out that we are nine miles nearer to Mangawhara railway than Te Aroha and also that the Kaimai bush is only 12 miles through and not 15 to 20, as stated iv the Chairman's letter. There is also a large tract of pastoral country which from its geographical position must be added to our district, and its products must come to j our harbour for shipment. Ours is a purely agricultural andpastoral country, we have no exports of gold, coal, timber, etc, why not, therefore at once realise our position and keep in view the establishment of freezing works in our fine harbour. This will be our goldmine and will unite Tauranga with the whole coast from C ipe to Cape and inland, taking in all the Upper Waikato. If something of this sort is not done, what are our sheep farmers to do who are taking up sheep rans in our district, they cannot afford to ship fat hoggets to the Auckland market at the end of Jnne and sell them at 5s each (see Weekly News 25th in3t), with 2s per head expenses on them, Thanking you in anticipation, Mr Editor, for the space you allow me, — I am etc, Settlbe.

[They Editor is desirous of affording every reasonable facility for the discussion of public subjects, but it must be distinctly understood that he is in no way responsible for the opinions expressed by correspondents.] To tfSE EDITOR. Sib, — A. short time ago, a letter appeared in your paper from my old friend, Mr James Bodell on the Stewartstown sections and you tory wisely suggested in a foot note, that the parties interested, should meet and take Joint action together. I have waited for some time with a view of ascertaining whether these persons would put their heads together, but, as no movement appears to have been made, I trespass upon your columns to suggest the course that should be adopted. I think Mr Bodell is mistaken ia saying that the land has been soldj it is true that an application was ma-ie by the County Chairman, (Mr J. Brown), to the Waste Lands Board to have the lands reelassified and sold as rural lands and the application was granted by the Board, but us I knew that this moat useless body, waa the mere buffers between the Government aud the public, I wrote to the Minister of Lands direct, asking him to exercise his veto upon the resolution referred to, and I give at foot a copy of my letter to him on the subjeot and I have good reason to believe that the Lands are still unsold by the Crown. I need not remind you, that these sections were purchased from the late N.Z. Land Corporation Ld., who took over my conoession under certain conditions, one being the construction of the Taur mga-Rotorua Bailway. Then the itinerant attorney appeared on the scene with his ' truthful report,' wherein Te Puks was described as an 'impenetrable forest and an impassable morass,' the Company was in consequence wound up, and hence the position of the Stewartstown purchasers. However, by clause 17 my agreement, (inserted at my suggestion), justice can be done to them by the Government and as Mr Bodell has a list of the purchasers I would suggest that a statement be drawn up, signed by the parties and forwarded to our representative, Mr William Kelly, to arranga the matter with the Minister of Lands. I may have occasion to go to Wellington during ihe ensuinsr session, and if I should, I need not add, that I will have much pleasure in taking the matter in hand and if tbe Hon. Minister is possessed of these ordinary feelings of common honesty of which I have not the slightest doubt, there should be no difficulty in arriving at a satisfactory settlement for all parties concerned. I'o place the matter in a nutsfieJl, the Government has been paid for the land, our local settlers bought this land, paid their money, or at all events large deposits, upon the faith of the Government guarantee contained in clause 17, of my agreement, and they have nothing to show for their hard* e*rnod cash, save the receipt of a wound up Limited Liability Co. Is it right, honest and just that such a hardship should be inflicted ? And I have no doubt, that if the facts are fairly represented to the Minister of Lands, he will see that they obtain justice at the hands of the Government. I am, etc. Geo. Vesey Stewaet. Martray House, Katikati, June 21st, 1892. [Copt] Martray House, Katikati, May 11, 1889. Sik, — I have the honor to direct yourjittention to a recommendation made to ybu by the Auckland Waste Lands Board as reported in the Weekly News dated 4 May 1889, wherein it is stated 'that the land marked ' S:ewartstrwn ' on Block 11,' Maketu S.D. be thrown open as rural land. ' With reference to the above recommendation, I would ask you to withhold your consent thereto pending further enquiries on the following grounds, — 1. The statements made to the Board as reported in the piper are not correct. 2. The block consists of a very small area judging of recent land sales by the Crown at Taurangs, no earth hunger appears to exist at present. 3. The entire road frontage of this block suitable for habitation has been purchased by settlers under my Te Puke agreement with the Government. 4. These settlers have paid their money < For their sections, but through no fault of < bheire or mine, have not as yet obtained their ] drown Grants. ( 5. I have not at present a copy here of I ny Te Puke agreement, but the last clause I hereof indemnifies the settlers against any c aches by myself, ( the selector, )of which, d be Governor, ( Government, ) shall be sole I ndge. 1*

I would therefore respectfully suggest in the interests of the settlers who have psid rae through my representatives, the late N.Z Land Corporation, Ld. , that you will cause an enquiry to be made, through the Crown Lands Banger, or otaer officer of the Government, ]