SETTLERS' GRIEVANCES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1240, 23 September 1911, Page 14

SETTLERS' GRIEVANCES.

Sir,—May I claim space in your valuable columns to call attention to a gravel injustice that is being perpetrated on the Hauraki Plains settlors. I am refe,rring in tho following remarks more particularly, to tho "iirstr-blockers"—i.e., thoso men who took up land at tho first ballot, held on May 18, 1910. Tho land composed both first and second-class; the f class being peat land, from which hitter ono has to wait some time before obtaining any return.' All the land was vs.lued at a very high figure, 6ome of tho Hirstclass sections as high as JSO per acre, and the peat sections up to M 10s. por acre. Tho "settlers are of a very pood type, and the majority have been on their sections now for a considerable time. Many of these men havo built hor;ses, under great difficulties, on account of the stato of the roads (?), put in draans, fenced, sowed grass, otc., and consequently spent their capital. Of course, having now added greatly to tho value of their holdings, they applied to the . Advances to Settlers Department for a loan, in tho usual way enclosing the valuation fee. In due courso the Government Valuer camo down and inspected tho improvements, and again in due courso camo a letter from tho Department, _in the caso of a iirst-clara section offering JCIOO (this place was valued at ,£900), and in tho caso of second-class holders abso-

iutely refusing tiny advance at all. Now, sir, is f.hia a fail- way of treating ! | tho man -wuo is struggling against .greatJ

difficulties to make a dairy farm out of land that was up to lately given over to tho grey cluck and pukaka ? It would be interesting to know to whom that £1,500,000, of which wo heard so much somo timo ago, has been lent. Has it been lent to the settler, who really needs it, or to tho well-to-do farmer in order that ho may pay off his mortgage and thus save, perhaps, J to 1 per cent? If tho Department persist in' their refusal to lend money to the Haurald Plains settlers, their action will cause a serious set-back to tho settlement, and will also, I think, affect the election in this part of tho world.—l am, etc., HUGH B. SPARROW.

Hauraki Plains. [Probably somo member of Parliament will ventilate this grievance on tho floor of the House.]