Correspondence. MR. GRAHAM'S SCHEME FOR OPENING UP THE COUNTRY, AND CONNECTING AUCKLAND WITH TARANAKI AND WHANGANUI.

Daily Southern Cross, 11 April 1868, Page 4

Correspondence.

MR. GRAHAM'S SCHEME FOR OPENING UP THE COUNTRY, AND CONNECTING AUCKLAND WITH TARANAKI AND WHANGANUI.

To the Editor of th» Dahy Southern Oaobs. Sib, — In your leader of this date, which leverely criticises my latter in which I proposed a scheme for opening up the 'country, and for bringing about a better itate of feeling between the two races,, for giving employment to European and Maori labour, and for investment of capital, you make some remarks that call for a reply from me. Any one proposing a plan for inch a national work, as I do, must expect opposition, and more particularly if it is a proposal for the ensuring of peace, and the doing away of wasteful warlike expenditure. I am therefore not surprised at your remarks. You say that I give no estimate whatever of the proposed works. Could you expect in one letter that I aould go fully into detail and show the cost of such a scheme, a scheme that will giro transport to the very interior of the country, giving roads to {

nearly every farm on the moat fertile lands in the province, and water carriage to several hundreds of miles on our fine rivers that flow through this much- j favoured province ? But I did state that a tax of eightpence per aore for three yean on a belt of land , five miles wide would be sufficient to lay tramways all through the country between Whanganui and j Taranaki and the Waipa country. I believe that £200 per mile will be sufficient to carry out this portion of the work, that is, to lay the tramroads ; and you will se« that two shillings per acre on a belt of land five miles wide woald give £320 per mile, a goodly contingency for j bridging creeks, &c, and surveying the fines of road. Railroads are out of question ; they are too costly for us at present ; and lam surprised at your saying that tramways from Taranaki to Whanganui would not be much improvement upon the present system of sea communication. Surely you must know that we want roads to the interior. The country between Whanganui, Taranaki, and the Taupo country, generally speaking, is of the richest description of soil, a fine fertile sandy loam ; but as there is a great scarcity of stone for metalling the roads, the oheapest roads that can be made are tramroads, as I propose. A common road, even where there is gravel, would cost at least £1,200, and the fine country mentioned is but thinly inhabited. These tramways would facilitate intending settlers getting building material, goods of all kinds, &0., to farms ; and encourage the growth of grain, dairy produce, &c, which for want of roads cannot be produced with profit, and in con* sequence the country lies waste, people fearing to purchase or settle on their lands. What use is the sea communication to the Taupo country, or Upper Waipa ? Tramways th»t £200 per mile will lay down will enable the future settlers to ship their produce to canal-boats for our harbour. Would not this benefit the Taranaki and Auckland provinces, and the colony t You say, "We can hardly think that Mr. Graham supposes it possible, after all that has been said about the confiscated lands, that a sum sufficient to carry on works of such an extent as he as he proposes would be immediately realised by their sale. " Ido expect that with proper management at least £100,000 could be realised from the sale of the lands before mentioned, and that the moneys could be got together fast enough to carry out the works proposed. In the proposal to tax all lands that will derive a benefit from these works, I see no reason for exempting those belonging to the Maori, We ought to waive the tax until the lands are clothed with Crown titles, as I before stated ; but European! wishing to lease or purchase native land can soot persuade the native to bring the same before thi Native Lands Court ; and we have more to fear from the Government than the natives if the small tax o: eightpence per acre for three years will ensure safi transport and means of travelling at a rate of saj eight miles per hour and at a cheap rate. Surel] such money would be well spent by all landed pro prietora, they gaining the benefit of the conveni ence of such transit, and increase in the value i

would give to property of both native Mid European. You think that the connecting of the Waikato and Piako rivers would not reduce the cost of transport to one-tenth of the preient cost. You, I am happy to say, are mistaken. Of course, if my scheme is carried out, there must be proper canal-boats or barges to convey goods. Do you not think that 100 tons of wheat or potatoes, if snipped in one of such boats, could not be sent from Alexandra or Hamilton direct to Auckland for £25 or £30 ? The service could be easily performed in three days. Let me ask your readers to think what it would now cost to send 100 tons of wheat or potatoes to Auckland from Alexandra or Hamilton. Need I say more on this subject that so seriously affects the interests of our up-country settlers and province ? The whole cost of the cutting of the canals, locks, Ac., to enable boats of 150 tons to go from Auckland to the Waipa and Hamilton, would not cost more than £60, COO, and would leave a work that future generations would derive great benefit from. We cannot do what the Nelson people propose, give land for the work — what land hare we to give between Auckland and the Waipa or Waikato ?— but the whole country would be benefited by such an undertaking, and the small tax of eightpence per acre for three years would be scarcely felt. My objeot is to make transport cheap and easy, bringing roads to convenient distances from all farms. With respect to the political object that I have in view, I may remark that the employing of natives in the years 1845, 1846, and 1847, on ihe barrack wall in Auckland, on roads, &C, did much to ensure peace. We see in your report from the Upper Thames in your newspaper of this issue, and dated the 6th April, Monday last, that Te Hira and other influential chiefs bad left Ohinemuri, refusing to see Mr. Mackay. Attempt to disguise it as we may, many of the Maoris do place very little confidence in Government, and I do see that the aukati can be got rid of by peaceful means. How is it that Te Hira and other Hauhau chiefs will see me whenever I can afford time to visit them, and how is it that Mr. Wrigley, as you inform us, and other settlers oan meet the Hauhau chiefs and live in peace and safety with them ? Surely it is better to devise some means to open up the country, and satisfy our opponents in a f rendly way, rather than increase our heavy taxation by war. lam sure that something must be done to restore confidence if we are to see prosperity and peace. My scheme will do this : it will, by giving employment to the young men of different bapus, and with a little good management, break down those barriers that we all desire, who wish to extend our goldfields. If this is to be done by executing works to benefit the two races, and if, without increasing our national debt, we can prevent bloodshed and give work to all that are unemployed, it is worth the favourable consideration of those who wish well to the colony ; the advantages to be gained being so great for the expenditure, and the needful so easily collected for carrying out the work.— l am, &c, George Gbaham. Cliff, Hobson-street, Auckland, April 9, 1868.

The judgeahip meant by the death of his Honor Judge Brewer ha* been conferred on Mr. Wilson Graj, of New Zealand. The manner of filling up the vacancy is not looked on with favour by the legal practitioners in Melbourne. The Geelong Advertiser says : — " The appointment of Mr. Wilton Gray to the judgeship rendered vacant by the deceaie of his Honor Judge Brewer was freely commented on in town, and, we need hardly state, hat given very little satisfaction to any party. Mr. Wilson Gray is, no doubt, an excellent man, and probably well fitted for the important duties which he will hereafter be called upon to perform. We know him as a politician and as a land reformer, in both of which capacities he has shown himself to be a ■traightforward and honourable man. Many, how* ever, consider that there are as suitable men as he, and that the Government need not have appointed a gentleman who until recently was a resident of New Zealand."