VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS AND BUSH LAND.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7549, 24 September 1886, Page 3

VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS AND BUSH LAND.

Sir, — I would that a 'better advocate' had, stood forth.^bnt'a few "remarks' upon the villagd^.'j&ttie'merits'': ' ;regulationsi ' their; operation in Hawke's Bay, arid y our, leader. thereon; may beof interest to your readers; • The establipmrisatof village settlements in; bush- lands. is', -lii the first lUlacejiarialierfa-, . tion foy.'the Government atone' of . the most, valuable assets. of the country. Valuable now, likely to increase indefinitely in value with .each, year, of ( this , progressive,, age. Now/ Ii the conVmunity^Yere to 'receive' any benefits, in return for the loss of its timber', r! sUch'a' eotirse might-be defended,.' but I slkH'endeavor, tb^how. that" we are' making. a' 'gift of :this valuable produce,.; under conditions which'.ruake its immediate destruction-compulsory. ..J^shall also attempt to show y tha't' jh-the particular district which I have in .view, in jyriting, . it is simply: impossible for even;the .most, industrious .settler- to make; a comfort- • able .liyjrlp,', .. .without seekjng;'. to ."make 1 any provision for old age. " That district,; is the Puketitiri Bush. . - - -■-. ■ Eirst, arid on tjieypiiblic^side, the Pjritetitiri Bush con tains" as much valuaOTO timber per acre,-^asVDejrKaps any forest in New Zealand.;- jTfient/iwiUi the ' excepiion of the Western -gart of the Pohui Bush, which is- 1 of Ismail extent, there is no other timber- avail able from the Ngaruroro tp.ma"sy miles north of the Mohaka river.- At - i rjresent,--ihariks to corapetition-andrAyipleaale' destruction in the r orty^railp"Bijßh| 'tKe?Bqutb.grn %n& "of tliisdistrict.fc^.fie r .choaply--B'tt'pplie.d-«ta 1 . Napier^i'Btft vflie,' doniand,-,.fgr."J).u'Ucling fcimber^ifl.Trapidly - increasing, and urifoiv ' tunateljythe ayaiM]e|*|oreßts";aro;' "still* r more f^^tfJ'decreasingj.^iFqy.iin Govern'menfftnih'd; • the.man -who snakes a root of/grttsst 1 replace; a- stately -pine- isj. worthyllof,^ighes| praise.^o7^l9ng iwjU" the timelbe ; ;ini'co.mirig -when' Me". 'district' will be large^lijeli.riyill look,;tdPukp-. titiri for itS-jtfpibef, and flmall v enou£li will the supply be"found?Ki'%^v^ :j '., "sf Nothing is pejfhaßgynore^surprising in eonnection;,ydth the. . yillag? settlement and Its application to 1 btiah Tandsthari tlio constant „made by. our .leaders. to tb'dnecessity'for conservation 6f forests/ By ;.one f Act the. :| Go.vernment s,eek to en-, f sufe"'tKe''propei'"' p'res'ervatio'n^dr orir rich--1 natural endo\yment ; byanother they ufio every enileavof'to hasten its indiscrinnriate destruction. Sir, I maintain that there is no., forest ..in the, colony which Usw so many ; reasons to urgo ite temporary ,' or even' perpetual .reservation." Its- heavi- 1 ness of timber, ifyisolatcd/sjituation and tho unsuitability of its "climate for farm- . ing/lmrpdsesi--.thes'e r and many othors all unite to urge it. r '!•-<■■ ■ Ifcwaa with the greatest ; regret ,that I. read'jyouci complacently coramen^ntbry. " - remarKs..upon the cpmnulsory, clearing of bush lands, Srireljr Voi; overlooked the fact that every pine felled by the settler is many pounds/ worth (and the work of nature tor I ' generations) atiil .' that /jrass substituted lor if is but a few i Bhilhngsf-worth; ■. / / :•- • • - '"-.'■ . Ffoiu a f settler's : . point of view,- 1 think lit is also evident' that tho' block under consideration- is quite unsuitable.; Onp. of the 'conditions ; essential to success , given in.your leadpr.' is . tliat the sections " musfbe' hear a' town' or employment of somo -sort. 1 ' •■A'district more. nearly the 1 ; exact'' opposite to your condition than Pnketitirr it' would be difficult to ; find. Employment there is almost none within ••"♦ reasonable ■' distance. • Then it is forty miles : from Napier;-- bya r6ad winch fpr miles is barely-passable for. a half-loaded ilray. Napier is the. nearest and only market. This is a serious" 'drawback, but. it'is backed by still worse. • The climate is severe— cold, windy, and wet. There i« no appreciable growth in pasture' for six months in- tho year, and even well into the, milder seasons enters a liability to snowstorms' arid frost's. ' •' I Have 'known potatoes quite cut down by summer frosts. This opons up the necessity for providing. Winjor \feed; and at. tho same moments brings is face to face with tI J.°,. S:"} o^ impossibility of providing aserviceable'aupply onr a bush' section of small extent. I have mentioned the abundance'of "timber on the sections in question, and this,, of course, to a settler compelled to fell and cultivate, is of the most- »erious importance. . To. cultivate rbpfc crops in srieh land would' bo tediou3 and laborious for many years, and for the first two or three impossible. The very idea of cutting and making hay for some r years at the first raises sufficient visions in one's rhind to save the necessity for further remark. The difficulties at the would do great, but we are dealing with perpetual tenure, and if 'tlierVwere ' a reasonable prospect of a comfortable,, independent home in the future, industrious men would overcome them." But twenty-five aere^ in a vigorous climate, with, a ■ distant market, is not sufficient .'to provide that, even frugal living in independence which workmen hope to attain as the reward for their toil.

i A few words as to tlie public interests and the matter of terms. I fail to see i wherein is tho. security, for mo.ncys ivl r , vanced by Gdverntneriti' : 'I- llaVe ' shown that the timber' as'it: stands is fftftmpro i Valuable tlia.ri the cleared land will over ' be, arid we niust also remember that bush may bo well or badly, felled .and burnt, i. arid a badly barn'ed' bush section is about, i as_ unsatisfactory a security as can well be imagined; . , _ , What control, then, has tho Government . ovpr its tenants, and debtors .under .this, - r Acfefvl featlmt little. ' ; ', ,: ' v t j i •■' Apologising for taking hp sd much of 1 ■ your valuable space, I ,Jiope. that it may ! not yet be. too late for something to be done in order tliat this ono ewe lamb of Hawke's Bay Comity may, not; be sacri---1 Seed- to .the insatiable" monster— central administration. — I am, -ftp.,, „,, , ; ' Edwin' Harding,- < Patokd, September 22, 1886.