THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, MAY 29, 1886.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7650, 29 May 1886, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, MAY 29, 1886.

Tm: Government scheme of villagß (settlements about to be put in operation in tho northern portion of this province, has certain points of resemblance to the scheme of settlement lately launched by Mr. Firth. It is wanting in some of tho more attractive features of the latter scheme, but it contains, nevertheless, many elements calculated to make of it a very great success. The improved condition of Mr. Firth's land, the possibility of ultimate freehold possession, but above all the renting of milch cows, giving an immediate means of livelihood, present very attractive advantages; nevertheless, we venture to think that the village settlements, under Captain Lundon's energetic management, will attract a very large number of the class for which they are specially designed. This scheme, though giving only perpetual leaseholds, confers immediate possession and a permanency equal to that of freehold ; while the terms of rental, namely iive per cent on the value of the land, or practically a shilling per acre per annum for thirty years, with renewals for terms of twenty-one years for ever, must be admitted to be exceedingly favourable to the village settler. Nor are the conditions of occupancy, namely, residence, and the cultivation of one acre within two years, and of half the remainder within four years, such as will raise a moment's hesitancy on the part of anyone who really intends to make in one of these settlements a home. Credit must be given to Mr. Ballance for having done everything to surround leasehold tenure with much that is attractive, and a small settler, with a home and thirty acres in cultivation, can hardly regard the payment of a pound a year .as materially derogating either the permanency or' the value of his possession of what under such condition of payment is secured to him and his for ever. It must be owned that this is about the nearest possible approach to possession in fee simple, and considering the extreme smallness of the rent charge, we doubt whether it will not prove quite as attractive to village settlers as if it had been freehold,

In a scheme such as this the whole question of success or failure will absolutely depend on its administration. Its features of advances—£2o to build a house and £2 10s per acre for clearing, etc.—constitute it one of those cases of paternal intervention on the part of Government that are commonly regarded as risky ventures for the Government of a country to launch. And Mr. Ballance has done wisely in committing the conduct of his first venture to the hands of a shrewd practical man with colonial experience of that particular kind which may be of advantage to small and struggling settlers. Mr. Lundon is a man with plenty of savoir /airc, with force of will and keen insight into character, and his practical experience and indomitable energy peculiarly fit him for "roading"a party of pioneers, with little more than their own thews and sinews, who are to carve out homes for themselves in the wilderness. The settlers contemplated in Mr. Ballance's scheme are not of the kind commonly spoken of as wearing kid gloves, and Mr. London's rough and ready way will inspire them with more confidence than if they were placed in loading strings of red tape and walled in by foolscap and sealing-wax. Even before any parties are formed the Village Steward—as we suppose Mr. Lundon is to be called in the language of the Act—has laid the best foundation for success in absolutely refusing to have anything to do with land that is not of the very best character. When a new experiment like this is to rest on its own merits it is not only excusable, but imperative that there should be insistence on the land being the very best that can be had. The blocks to be settled have been already noted, and in making the selection regard has been had not only to tb« quality of \ the land and its accessibility, but to its being in every case in such neighbourhood that the settlers can readily obtain employment to assist them in maintaining their families until the little farms are producing supplies. One of these blocks—about seven hundred acres —is that of Motukaraka, in front of the township of Herd's Point, which can bo laid off at onue for occupation, while fifteen hundred acres adjoining has been already cut up into hundred-acre sections for a special settlement. The second of these blocks 13 known as the " Onehunga endowment," it having been formerly set apart as a reserve for our western harbour, but since released in exchange for another block. It contains one thousand acres, the richest volcanic soil, and is situated at the head of the navigable part of the Taheke river, the s.s. Hannah Mokau having steamed up to the site of the settlement. The third block is at the head of Victoria Valley—a portion of twelve hundred acres once set apart for model gardens — rich alluvial soil, of great depth, and gently rising, with a northern aspect, until it is bounded by a range that intercepts tho cold winds from the south. For the growth of semi-tropical products—for the orange, the olive, the banana, and the various growths requiring similar climes—this spot is singularly adapted ; and, as the settlement has a good road of fourteen miles to the port of Awanui, and an excellent dray road of twenty miles, level as a bowling-green, to the port of Mangonui, with settlers all the way, the position of the new settlement is singularly favourable. The Mangonuiowae Valley contains two thousand acres—set apart also for these village settlements—and the land is already divided into seventyacre farms; and, as all these lands have been specially chosen by Mr. Lundon from his own personal knowledge of their fertility and fitness for the purpose, the new scheme will rest securely on that best and only sure basis for success—land of the highest fertility. In these circumstances we cannot avoid forming very favourable prospects of the success of this new venture in land settlement. The fertility of the soil, aided by a climate singularly stimulating to the growth of vegetation, will make these twonty-acre lots equal in productive power to twice the area in many of the famous districts of tho colony further South, and, though the limitation to twenty acres, as fixed in the Act, does not favour very large ambitions on the part of tho village settlers, stilJ, in that climate and under those favourable circumstances, a very comfortable subsistence may be obtained by the humble settler on his twentyacre farm. Wβ do not hesitate to say that that which most inclines us to look with favour on this scheme of viKage settlement is, that in it we find the remedy for the often recurring cry of the unemployed. That only has its origin in that vicious growth on our public works policy, the " eight shillings a day" man. Our "heroic policy" has imported many whose highest ambition has been the perpetual enjoyment of wages, and the necessity of ministering to these has compelled tho State to undertake profitless public works. When these village settlements are formed, with the paternal and fostering care that seems intended to be applied to them, the " unemployed " may, if he wills it, take to the country, arid fix himself there in a happy country home. If he does not will it, then very little sympathy need be extended to him, and no one will be inclined again to originate useless public works for his relief. The vicious principle of keeping a dependent labour class looking continuously to publie works as their legitimate right, has, we trust, now had its death knell rung ; and we hope to see in this most interesting enterprise the gi'adual conversion of a dependent and profitless class of hangers on Providence and the publichouses, into industrious and self reliant settlers, who, with their families, will be taught to enjoy the pleasant surroundings of country life.

The resolution arrived at by a majority of the special committee, appointed by the House to consider the proposals of France with regard to New Hebrides and the Pacific lalands question generally, is of a somewhat perplexing and unsatisfactory character. It 3 proposer was Sir George Grey, and the purport of it is, that a convention should be made by Euglaud, France, Germany, and the United States, by which all these Powers would be bound neither to annex nor occupy any island in the Western Pacilic, and that the authority now vested in the British High Commissioner for the Pacific should be exercised by the united Governraonta of the abovenamed countries. It looks a little strange that, after being instrumental in getting a Bill passed enabling New Zealand to unite with, any other colony or kingdom in tho Pacific when the inhabitants of both countries are agreeable to such a union, {Sir George should recommend for adoption by Parliament a resolution which appears completely to I block the taking of any action under the said Bill. This is the more remarkable when it is known that Samoa, Rarotonga, and the Now Hebrides are all desirous of being incorporated with New Zealand. It may be said indeed that the resolution, if given effect to. would only bind the agreeing Powers, and would not interfere with any action which the Pacific lalandere might themselves wish to take for union with New Zealand or any other of these colonies. But this, to say the least, is doubtful, and such an interprotation of the resolution would certainly be disputed by some of the Powers, in the event of any such proposal for union being made. These would 3imply ignore the colonies in the matter, or regard them as being tied by Britain's obligations. As a matter of fact, such a union could only be given effect to by an Act on the part of Great Britain; and, should she propose to sanction it, the other Powers associated with her would object to it as opposed to tho spirit of their mutual agreement. In that case unpleasantness would arise, and might cause serious trouble. Apart from this, such an arrangement would deprive the colonies of all right to a voice in the corse which the agreeing Powers pursue with regard to the Pacific Islands. This is a false as well as a humiliating position to place them in ; and, en this ground alone, the New Zealand Parliament should consider the adoption of the committee's resolution as highly inexpedient. If passed by the Legislature, its operation would isolate Now Zealand from tho other colonies in Australasia, for these will certainly not travel in tho direction which the resolution indicates.