ANOTHER VOICE FROM THE BACK BLOCKS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1233, 15 September 1911, Page 6

ANOTHER VOICE FROM THE BACK BLOCKS.

SETTLERS' GRIEVANCES. Sir,—As it is drawing near to another Parliamentary election I must ask you to take notico of a few fact's from tho undersigned, as it seems to me the medium of your columns is tho only chance for one in my position, and with political views entirely agreeing with what I read closely in your able articles. What would become of us only for tho able and honourable stand you are taking is more than I can understand, and I only hope the coming election is goinj; to bring about some change in tho ruling of this grand country. If legislation is to continuo as it lias of late tho sooner ono clears out to soraewhero olso I think the wiser ho is. Wo only want a few slumps in wool, meat, and money and then wo are all down and in want of what we cannot get. My principal object in troubling you is to air a few grievances on behalt of the back-blockcr of which I expect you get more than enough. I am situated with others some 200 miles from Auckland on Maori leasehold which, when you can acquire it, is fair enough for a middle-aged man, but tho trouble is to get tho lease. It is not the fault' of the Maori, but tho red tapes of Departments, which would choke you if you did not carefully defend yourself. I was battling over boards and courts for twelve months, and afterwards my Maori landlord tor six months. After battles over boundaries and surveys at a cost of .£BOO, 1 obtained my lease.. My last item was waiting six weeks at a hotel. I had signed the lease and tho Court sent it at once to tho Registrar, my lawyer assuring me it. would return immediately, but it took six weeks, I presume, for the stamps to get licked, and so it cost ino a big total account and serious loss of time. This is only one of tho items ono has to contend with under the present Act or arrangements, and with the Civil Servants conducting matters I should advise leaving a Maori leaso alone.

As to roads we can get not even a culvert repaired, wo must do- it ourselves for tho Slaori to gallop over. The local council say, go to the Government; they might just as well give us a more evasive answer, as what hope have wo there? The culverts are positively a danger to man and beast' and every year has to account for one or two lives of white men who come to a big river unconscious of the fact, that tho crossing is swiiumablo to a horse when naked, but with a man on him tho switt current turns the horso over and probably "both ho and rider go under. It was suggested when a man was drowned last year that a notice board should be erected warning travellers of the danger of crossing when, for a few shillings, they could get a Slaori guide at ono of the pahs. But nothing came of tho suggestion. Since the pakoha was drowned a few have got a drenching likewise a fright, tako place old Slaori tracks when wo must get round the best way wo can or rcmovo tho obstruction at out own expense. We aro promised a telephono lino for which all interested have had to provide a guarantee fund. After twelve months' talk, the fund is in Government hands still. Nothing has been done, not even a survey made on the proposed route, which is locally defined by tho guarantors, and no doubt the best and easiest routo to clear. In fact, a largo portion of the track requires no clearing, as it is open country. If any bodily ailment occurs the unfortunate individual must succumb, oven if medical assistance would avail.

As to noxious weeds, we are surrounded with the lot, from Cape weed to blackberry. Sometime ago tho local inspector caino along becauso lie was urged to do so. Ho gave the Maoris notice. They cut down a little blackberry in sight of roads, and set fire to same. Now it's up stronger than ever, and tlio inspector has never been near us again to sea the result of his notice, neither can we persuade him to como and see that tho evil is' just as bad as ever. I maintain, after swing 'thd damage dotio at, Tongio,'.in Hawke's Bay, that this pest must bring' about a serious loss in these parts if not tackled with energy before tho hill country is cleared. I read in your paper of late of tho Mokau Estate, which it is to be hoped will open the eyes of those land from this present Government, which I have found out, after going into their ballots. 1 often_ wish I had put my ill-spent expenses into l'attersaU's sweep, instead of into hotel and railway expenses. A great many small settlers like myself hoped last election time (lie sooallcd small grazing-runs in Poverty Bay were going !o be balloted for. Instead of that the Minister camc along and renewed the lot to squatters after tlio last general e'.cction. I do hope both you and the Reform candidates will not forget this little episode of tho timo when Sir J. Carroll was asked by the Gisborne electors for some explanation as to why one individual .in Poverty Bay got a new lease In his. small grazing-riin when no one else could obtain it, and that was before the last election. Sir J. Carroll, I suppose, very rightly refused to divulgo any private correspondence, as most electors knew what had transpired in this case. Silence suited the candidate. It. was the opinion of a great many, wishing tho small grazing-runs cut up that the Prime Minister did not wish to finance perhaps a quarter of a million in cash to pay for improvements. K There is a block of Government land to the south of this called the Cooinie Block. I mu told it consists of 30,000 acres. When the Government acquired this land I am not aware, but I know an individual in this locality who represented this matter when tho Parliamentary railway meeting was held in Opotiki last March. They did not know this block was in existence, and promised to inquire into the matter. That, is the last we heard of the block. Now, in this time of land hunger, you would suppose something would be done with the block l mention? As far as I know, there is no proper road into tho Coomie Block, and I think it must, bo in tho Waiapu County Council boundaries. lam drawing your attention to these little matters, because they are of vital importance to me and other small settlers around here. We have just got news here that this electorate, Bay of Plenty, is to be supported in the coming.- election by Mr. F. J. Lysnar standing against Mr. W. S. Mac Donald, the former for the Reform side. I only liopo it may bo true, as Mac Donald we look upon as only a figurehead. I sinceroly hope Mr. Lysnar "is going to stand. I should think, there are few abler men in the House to legislate for law and land. Trusting (his letter will not be consigned to the wastepaper basket, but may be 'the means of doing some little good,—l am, etc., BACK-BLOCKS. E. Cape, September 2.