THE TIMBER LANDS OF HOKIANGA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5397, 5 March 1879, Page 2

THE TIMBER LANDS OF HOKIANGA.

THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE GOVERN. HE NT. Some considerable time ago Messrs. Brownlee and Co., who have a timber mill at Havelock and another in the province of "Wellington, went to Hokianga with the object of establishing a large saw-mill in that district, where there are magnificent forests of kauri, and which might be made as busy and prosperous as Kaipara is now. Negotiations were entered into with the natives, a sitting of the Court was appointed, and everything was proceeding favourably for the establishment of a large industry on the Hokianga river, when the Government interfered, commenced negotiations for purchase, and so ousted the private purchasers. It has been stated to us that the Government were moved to commence negotiations for purchase by the chairman of the County Council, and that previously an offer had been made by an influential resident of the district, that if £500 were paid to hi 21 he would secure the bush for Brownlee and Co. This was not acceded to, and shortly afterwards Mr. Bates, the chairman of the Hokianga County Council, communicated with the Government, urging them to commence the purchase of the land, so as to prevent it falling into the hands of private parties. We have frequently had to give examples of the mischief resulting from the competition between Government agents and private parties in the purchase of land, but the present seems one of the worst cases we have heard of. The chairman of the County Council took it upon him to advise the Government without any consultation with his colleagues, but four members of Council, on finding what bad taken place, telegraphed as follows to the Premier :— Understand chairman has informed you advisable to buy Waikoropupu. A* this action is unauthorised, we, being majority of the Council, be; to assure you that it is the wi3h of ths public here that Government should retire 'from the purchase, Brownlee and Co., havinz spent large sums of moaev, their outlay of over £20,00 J will be wasted. Op*n up district by allowing thsm to complete the purchase. To this the following answer was returned :— Ought to act through the chairman of the County Council, to whom I have forwarded your telegram, and await the re.»ly of the Council through theii chairman.—G. Gkev. "We are quite surprised that it should be recognised that the chairman of any County Council has the function of advising the Government respecting what they should do in land purchasing. The chairman of the Hokianga County Council is so situated that the majority of the County Council cannot, in this matter, take any action through him. The Premier then sends the following telegram to Mr. Yarborough, explanatory of the motives upon which the Government have acted :— A. C. Yarborough, Esq., Hokianga.—You inform that it is not the wisa of tbe public in your district that certain large and valu+ble blocks o' forest lands near Hokianga should be bought on behalf of the pub ic, and you proceed to point out that gr«at advantage would accrue to the district by allowing Messrs. Brownlee and Co., who have already expended large sums of money in the district, to complete their purchase. Duty to the Queen's subjects in New Zealand would not permit, for reasons mentioned in your telegram, to allow private individuals to take from the entire public of New Zeiland very valuable forests, which may now be obtained for them. If these forests are acquired fjr the public at large, Messrs. Browalee and Co. will have the same right as the rest < f their fellow-citizens of competition for them. It appears it must be for the udvantige of the whole community that the forests alluded to should become the property of all, —should be either sold in one block or in several portions, as may appear to be most for the general advantage, that the public shou'd realise the fu'l value of these forests by the public sale of them. What you ask is th*t I should take upon myself the power of vesting to gentlemen whom you have nominated so much money, which might bo made the property of the public at large; that I should place in the hands ol one firm forests, the value and extent of which are yet unascertained, and that in their favour I *houM venture to lake upon myself the right of excluding the rest of their feliow-citizens from property which may bo obtained for the benefit of the whole c ommunity. I think, upon reflection, you will see ihat I only do my duty in endeavouring to obtain for all the Queen's subjects a common right in a vatuable property, which there is an opportunity of acauirioir for them.—G. Gp.ey. There are a few fallacies in the above telegram. Theso forests are the property of the natives, who have as much right to sell to private parties as to the Government, and the general mass of the Queen's subjects have no superior right to become possessed of them. There is no duty to the Queen's subjects compelling the Government to step in and purchase these lands when large sums of money have been already paid by private parties, so that there is no question of allowing " private individuals to take from the entire public of New Zealand." It is the native owners, and not the general public who have the right " to realise the full value of these forests," and they may safely bo left to do it. The Premier speaks as if he were asked, and had the right, to give the land away. In allowing Messrs. Brownlee to complete a purchase they have legally commenced, the Premier would not "take upon myself the right of excluding the rest of their fellowcitizens from property." We should think tuat it was the duty of the Government to the Queen's subjects to abstain from injuring those who in a perfectly legal manner had commenced to purchase forests especially when that was done, noi with the view of merely speculating in them, but of working them on a large scale. If these forests had been still lying unsought after, then the Government would have been justified in purchasing, feut we submit that when private* partie-i have paid large sums, then the Government ought not to interfere. On several other points, the above telegram is dealt with in the following reply from Mr. Yarborough :— Acknowledge your telegram to contain most convinclug truth; but, X submit, thit Government have held not only large forests, hut nearly one million acres of land of all descriptioas here, which have been kept shut up duriuc the last six year-, so that no hope is left with auy of m that Government wish to open any more lands. We are an isoUted community, and are we to s crifi-'o evor,thins? for the public good, and receive nothing in return Our roads are dangerous to travel on •n* subsidies are allowed us; we are struggling fir a very existence ; and now, at last, that a company has beeu started, whose enterprise will effcct as much good in the district as the find of a soldfield proportionately, would do in a more pjpulout one, their works aro stopped. Owing to bashes, on which thev have aivaucei money, being taken from them by Government, all settlement hat a standstill—all industries are stopped—businsss 13 paralysed—and our only hope u tj prevent the Maoris from selling to Government, lest we be driven out from the district a«tog;'her. If Government cau assure us that portions of foresti will be thrown open for competition, I can give every gmrantee that no opposition will be given to Mr. Nelson purchasing, and a great grievance wilt be remedied. I truit you will believe tint lam acting for tbe benefit of the subjects of the Queen, and not for Hrowolee and Co., who wi 1 b? well content that lands should be put up for competition. To this the Premier sends the following ! reply :— 0 Have received your telegram of the 15th. Will see Minister of Lands and ascertain if yoar statements of extent of Government lands and their being closed to purcnaiers are known to bim, and what arrangements should at on<*e be made to remedy the state of things you complain of.—9. Grey. The above instance shews, what we have froquently insisted upon, that the system under winch the Government at present is conducting its land purchase operations, by ousting private individuals when they have paid money tor land, is radically vicious, and ought to be altered. In this particular case there are also the facts of one person assuming to be able to influence the Government, and the Charmau of the County Council advisin° the Government to purchase a block of land which he knew persons had paid large suras of money upon. The mutter will be heard of again, and it is not improbable that it may form the subject of investigation, like the Bay of Islands roll transactions