COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9120, 31 July 1888, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

[from oto own correspondents.]

Hamilton, Monday. There is quite a demand for town lots in Hamilton springing up, independently of the several applications lately made for leases of borough reserves. On Saturday a two-acre lot in Grey-street, at the head of Bridgestreet, was purchased by Mr. Slade at a very satisfactory price, and other purchases have lately taken place. ' The return rifle match between the Volunteer Company and their Band came off on Saturday afternoon at the Butts, six on each side. The ranges were two, three, and five hundred yards, seven shots at each range The following were the scores Company- C Pearson, 59; Hooper, 57; J. Tristram" 55 - Allen, 48; Connelly 41; and Alexander, 41 ! total, 301. Band : Bandmaster Mettam 65* H. Tristram, 64; King, 35; Parr, 34; Delicar, 17; emergency man, 43: total, 258 the company beating by 43 points. A match between an equal number oi the married and single men of the Company has been arranged for Saturday week, the losing side to pay for the ammunition. The Company is now some seventy strong, exclusive of honorary members.

But for the obstruction of a few members of the Domain Board the Public Park reserve, some 30 acres on the lake, would have been planted with trees by a Jubilee bee, and the public could have joined heartily in the work. Since then the greater portion ; of the ground has been laid down in grass. The movement for tree planting by a general bee of the inhabitants has been revived by Messrs. Horne, Edgecumbe, Parr, and others, and a meeting called for Tuesday (to-morrow) evening of all those interested in the matter. A year ago, before the land was grassed, and while yet only lying fallow after the plough, there would nave been no difficulty. Now, however, that some two tons of bonedust have been put into it, and it has been laid down to grass the Domain Board may object to sacrifice the grazing to tree culture, and to fence every tree or clump of trees would be too costly. For the value of the grass, and considering the future advantage of beautifying this reserve, so charmingly situated upon the Lake and so close to the town—within its boundary, in fact, the majority of burgesses would be decidedly in favour of sacrificing the grazing to the trees. It is to be hoped there will be a full meeting tomorrow evening, and that the Domain Board will be represented on that occasion. Ngakuawahia, Monday. The public are looking anxiously to see what action the Government will take in the matter of sustaining the village settlements through the difficulties of early settlement, and whether they will endeavour to extend the system where practicable; for really the prosperity of the colony, apart from booms and extraordinary contingencies, depends upon the steady settlement of its land. The North owes its prosperity to the valuable class of settlers located there under the fortyacre system some thirty years ago, and not a little to the fact that it was difficult to raise. a mortgage in the North. At the present day Mr. Sallance's special settlement scheme, with the protection against mortgaging afforded by tne refusal to turn the leasehold into a freehold, bids fair to turn out as valuable a colonising scheme as that of the late Mr. John Williamson's referred to above. But few such settlements have been started south of Auckland, though there are lauds, and localities suitable for many such; but the one in this district, the Akatea special settlement, is a fair sample of what might be done for the country by a lawful and honest endeavour to make such settlements a success. The Akatea special settlement commences at Firewood Creek, some six or seven miles from this township, and extends over a distance of as many miles to the Whangaroa hot springs. One man trundled his goods, even the doors and windows for his house, seven miles in a wheelbarrow. A dozen substantial wooden houses have been built upon as many sections, and so many families have been enabled to make room for others in the overcrowded labour market, and to become producers on their own account In the case of the Akatea settlement, the Government have some 20,000 acres of first-class land, now nearly laid-off by Mr. F Edgecumbe, suitable for settlement m blocks of from 100 to 200 acres, for small capitalists, on the perpetual lease or homestead system, and the employment of the village settlers at, say two days work a week in converting the present bridle track into a road fit for wheeled traffic, would ensure the prosperity of the village settlement, and help to fill up this valuable tract of land between the Raglan harbour and the Waipa and Waikato rivers with both classes of settlers, employers and employed. But this settlement is only one out of many that might be established south of Auckland. At Wairanpi and in Waikato itself the Crown still holds valuable tracts of land, portions of which, if established as village settlements, would enable the remainder to be. sold to the benefit of the land fund, and so be productive to the colony in both directions. There is a fine tract of'land higher up the Waipa, and there are others which could be mentioned as eminently suited for this purpose; nor, indeed, could the Government do wrong in purchasing, at present low rates, in the settled districts blocks of five hundred or one thousand acres each, here and there, for special setlements in sections of from 30 to 50 acres each.