TARANAKI LAND SALES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 26, 10 July 1880, Page 4

TARANAKI LAND SALES.

TO THE BDISO"?. Ol" THT3 STAR.

Sir, — In reply to the last effusion of " Truth," relative to the land sales of the Taranaki provincial district. I have only to point out that his own figures convict him in his assertion that they were more than sufficient to pay the survey expenses of the Taranaki and Wellington districts cornbind. He puts the cash received fur the last six years at .£70,000. Taking 25 per cent, for New Plymouth Harbor Board, and 25 per cent, for road board districts, and the balance, .£35,000, is not sufficient to cover the expenses of the survey department m the Taranaki district for the past six years, to which assertion, in my first lettei re New Plymouth harbor works "Truth" took exception. As for the remark that it is only meu of the "Colonist" stamp who would think it fair to charge native surveys, office work, and re-surveying of old work against the land sales, I may state that it is only persons of " Truth's " bent of mind and mental calibre who could ever see any unfairness in the matter. I should, like to ask " Truth " if he were in charge of a survey party, and did no work for nine months in the year, whether he would not expect to be paid, just the same as if he had been cutting up valuable blocks of land for sale ? The Government does not consider it unfair to charge every item of survey expenses against the land revenue, and the heads of the departments take good care, if surveyors are employed on public works and engaged for any other department in the service, that those departments have the full expenses charged against them. With regard to " Tai'anaki being like a red vag to ' Colonist,' " as " Truth " puts it, I may state that it appears as if he wishes to draw a " herring across the scent " in arguing about " Taranaki land sales," anil my anti-Taranakian proclivities. It is not Taranaki that is the " red rag " to me, but the New Plymouth Harbor Woi-ks (put it in large letters, please, Mr, Editor), aud the shameful robbery of 25 per cent, of the land revenue of this county, to throw into the sea at New Plymouth, that I am driving my "metaphorical horns" thi'ough. It was on this subject I wrote when " Truth " questioned my assertion about the land sales, and quietly shelved any argument about the unjustness of one set of people imposing a heav} tax on another set of people because they were stronger in numbers, and went on the principle of " might was right."

If the land sales in this district were twenty times in excess of survey and every other expense, it will never alter my determination to do all I can, and to persuade my fellow-settlers in the Patea county to do their utmost to have this heavy drain on the land revenue for harbor purposes repealed, notwithstanding that the Taranalu News does not imagine that the " puny efforts " of the settlers in this district will be of any avail to upset existing arrangements. The first start of our " puny efforts " has been made ; and there is no doubt tnis subject will never rest until some alteration is made in existing arrangements. For my part, and I think the majority of settlers here agree with me, I would rather see the whole of the land revenue in the district colonial revenue, as it is all over the colony, to help to pay interest on colonial liabilities, than it should be used in such a way as to be worse than wasted ; for if I felt assured that when the money was thrown into the sea, it would be the last, we should hear of it, there would not be the bitter antipathy to it we find at present. It is the fear of a heavy, useless, annual debt that will inevitably be saddled on our children, if this district does not fight against this unjust taxation while there is the opportunity, that nerves the settlers to use

strenuous and continued efforts to save themselves from being swamped by the New Plymouth harbor woi'ks, with the deluded settlers (not townsmen) of the capital of Taranalri. — I am, &c,

Colonist.