RELATIVE TO SURVEYS, SITES FOR TOWNS, &c.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2663, 30 January 1866, Page 6

RELATIVE TO SURVEYS, SITES FOR TOWNS, &c.

To the Editor of the Dailt Southkbn Cross. Sir, The Provincial Council will meek again in a few days, when we may hope to hear of some questions being asked about the cost of surveys, and the way iv which the Waste Lands of this province has been cut up. In many instances, to cut up the country into fifty acre farms, the surveyors have had to take the line of roads through boggy or swamp lands, over deep gullies, and the cost of bridging will be sa expensive that no young colony can evei bear the cost. Even where large farms are laid out, of siy 300 to 1,000 acres, and where the best line of road has been selected, it takes several years to form and metal a road, withatax ofat leastone shilling peracre per annum; butitwillbe ieen that where smaller farms are laid off there must be more roads, and these would swallow up a tax of at least one shilling per acre per annum, to even bridge the small gullies, and keep the bridges in repair, leaving nothing for roads. In a young colony, in my opinion, farms ought to be laid off iv not less than a square mile ; this would enable the surveyors to lay off good main lines of road through the country, and by taking advantage of ridges, heading gullies, &0., much expense in road making can be saved. Bush lands, on a rough estimate, costs about twice as much as fern lands to survey. By laying off several farms of about one square mile each, they would cost about £12 per farm on fern land ; by cutting up the same land into fifty- acre farms, each farm will cost about £4 to survey. This subject is worth the consideration of our Provincial Counsellors. Thousands of pounds are being thrown away on useless surveys. Many of the fifty-acre farms up the Waikato have cost above £10 each to survey ; and, beiide the great waste of land in roads which never can be made available. The country is cut up like a gridiron, in a manner that for years will prevent settlement, or the improvement of the country. Ie is said that orders have been given to cut up large patches of land near Rangiriri, and other places, into five, acre patches ; is not this a folly to throw money away on such small plots of land ? How (is (it possible for any one to lir* on such miserable lots? And while it is wasting the best laodn of the 'province, it will cost at least two or three hundred pounds per square mile. Already we haye too many towns, far too many small farms, and too few large farms — tthousands of acres, a barren waste iv the hands of those who have not the means to cnltivate, nor even Unow how to do the work on a farm; and still, while the Treasury chest is nearly empty, we are squandering large sums of money in these useless surveys, and preventing capitalist from j settling in this province. — Yours, &c, An Old Settler. Auckland, Januaiy 25, 1866.