LUMSDEN

Mataura Ensign, Volume V, Issue 234, 2 March 1883, Page 2

LUMSDEN

: '-m^'-- (From ■# Correspondent)]'*^ = I noticed in a recent iasuo ofthe Mi&umA. Ensign, that '.fgoxu-.-omt? at-Lumiden? save public ventilation to a grievance! lelt*,by the settlers^ of Lintley. Those ( living la that locality will] doubtless, appreciate ! h'ia attention to the matter. ,<.;.!'.. ; .:,.•; •->(■ lu\y "Now, with your permission, I intend to bring another grievance before' you* in the hope that by ao doing people, desirous of settling upon land in this locality may be gi^en; an -opportunity; of doing :sj>. Some twelve years ago a ; survey was made for a township on, I think, the Oastlerock run about four miles .above the present. township of^ Luma.den. , ,Na attempt ,h.owetejf was made to sell it, influence haying been brought to bear with/the Government on 5 thin matter, la bonsequence of this infce*feren'oe r ' s 6n the 'part of 'interested indHduald the'railWay line to Kingston has been brought .over ..country through, whioh it was impossible, to, carry a line except, at enormous coat, and I have no hesitation in saying that had. the .township as it was originally, intended,; been, jSpld^ the railway would have gone up the plain and over comparatively easy country -arid at a Baying in the: cost of .'construction of about £30,000 or £40.000^ The proposed township was 100 acres in extent with a town ship reserve adjoining; tind beyond this there was an Education reserve containing first-olaes agricultural land. „ Without a doub,b hfld the township been sold and the other land opened to aettlenieut there would have been far more farmers in this locality to-day? than there now are. But, as 1 have, . already said, influence was brought to bear, and the land has not yet been placed in the market. The township has for two. seosotis past been under cr,op. It was ploughed up by a runhoider'in this diss fcricfc, i»nd the survey, pegs , were bo far disturbed that it has' b'oen necessary to re-survey the township. _ ..This has just been completed at the expense of the gentleman who took upon himself to convert the. ilandJtojlffi own .use, and. who was .compelled, :, to tender the Southland Land Board a very humble apolo-i gy ior taking possession of land "16* which ha Jhad no right.' If thi3 township had ;been sold as it, would have b^en but for the mterference ,1 have referred to, we should have ; hadf here all the buisneiß places" now t'6" be 'seen at Lumsden. . „ .■.,,. •.,.,. .-• , this is a thing of .the past, and, perhaps r no very ' great ' 'end ;i will bo served* by reverting, i tos. -it.-'i ?' I ? only do so to show whata huge .blunder; was made by the 'powers that be' when they listened to the representations made by an interested individual and wasted an enormous amount of publio money in diverting the railway lin* from its natural oourse, and obstructed set tlement by failing to- carry out : their-taig»*nal intentions iu.respeqt to selliog the township. Had it been sold,it must be patent to all that the land at the baok must then have quickly come into the . market and the squatter would have 'been compelled to give way to the farmer. What we are now mofitVnxious about are the' township ■ and - Education re* serves, both; of whioh, I' nnderstandi^are in the runholders' hands. We would like to know the exact area of this ! township* reserve and whether it cpuld not be cut up into small section's and sold' on deferred payment ? If this were done settlement would speedily follow and (then the (Education regerve at the back might , be acquired for settlement. As it stands at present the r'unholder pays the Colony something. like 2i6d per apr;e rental and sub-leW to contractors 'and' s'efctlers for cropping at 1 253 per aor'eJ 'No Wf <it> -this be qorrept and ; l have^o^633^Xl to^doujit py informant, why should noc the land be opened for bonco fide settlement* and J 'the? be allowedto receive ,25a per acre instead of allowing 223 61 clear profit to go into the pockets of the squatter ? Lumsden, 28th Feb., 1883.