THE AROHA BLOCK ONCE MORE.

Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 4288, 28 April 1879, Page 3

THE AROHA BLOCK ONCE MORE.

Somewhere about eight or nine months ago (says the Auckland "Herald") Hz Broombaa to finally got rid of at respects Tβ Aroha, and much rejoicing was expressed that one of the finest portions of the Thames district was to be opened at last, and that persons who had long been waiting were to j hare an opportunity of acquiring land for j settlement and cultivation. It might hare been eupposed that long ere this the land would have been sold, so that work might be commenced. HTow we hear that surreyora have stopped work, owing to disputes amongst the Natives about their reserves, and in that case, ac there is -nobody en the spot ■with authority sufficient to decide the differences, the whole thing may be faun* np for some considerable time. There is another too, of even greater importance. No arrangement has, it feems, up tOl now been made about the re- ! the «Thames Advertiser" sfetee ! ibs* they m»7 *** «? **■ beet , o£ v the ITatiTpi are clanning nearly the whole river frontage, where the most valuable land urituatedTlt is thought thefcthe reserves wfflamount to act lew than 8000 aorei, and

if the Natives hay» the eerekionijf the land* 4feey#ffl infallibly « pick theeve»!' v outottfie block. doing that. Then, £10,000 worth of the land has been set apart for an endowment for tad Thames High School, a proceeding whose advisability we doubt. With these drawbacks, Te Aroha will not do so much good to the Thames as expected. It is a pfty that proceedings were not taken long before this time, in regard to these reserves for the Natives. The Maoris have obtained a good price for the land, and by clever dealing with the reserves, by monopolising the good sites on the river bank, they will, undoubtedly! receive back greater value than they parted with, Europeans will be disgusted, and will not care to give a high price for land in the block when they cannot get the best part of it, and when improvements may be impeded by the existence of these reserves. Tben the Government calculated upon obtaining a handsome sum from the sale of Te Aroha towards the cost of railway works, and in this respect they will be disappointed.