THE HEREKINO VILLAGE SETTLEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9134, 16 August 1888, Page 3

THE HEREKINO VILLAGE SETTLEMENT.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sib,—Allow me in the interest of the general public to give a brief and truthful statement of aflairs here. Whatever may be said by parties seeking parliamentary honours or in Government service here notwithstanding, it is an indisputable factthafo nearly all of us are deprived of the usual comforts of life, and many of us are for the most part of our time wholly destitute of the commonest necessaries. The pity is the more that this state of things is mainly due to official blundering. Many of us were induced to come here by hearing "Johnny's" celebrated speeches in the Temperance Hall, promising us three days' work per week regularly in making roads in the settlement. In practice we find that these mean no such work at all for single men, and for the major portion of the married men about three pounds each for such work per twelvemonth. Some married men get no road work, while aboufe a dozen favourites draw about threefourths of the total grante by a system of small rings. At first we worked on the roads for 5s per day, then a road overseerwas sent to us to superintend the work. being done by contract, and since then the most of us have gone astray. The work is formally let out in small sections by con^ tract, but no tenders are called for, and the utmost secrecy is maintained until and after the several works are in hand. Each contract mostly engages two or three men, say, A. B. C. If they are in the favour of the storekeepers (e.g., have large families, and run a respectable bill, for we hav» next to no cash in the settlement), and backed by the overseer A signs for one contract, then the three take another, and B signs for that one, and for the third G signs, so the people at the Lands Office think the money is being more widely distributed than is the case. For bush-felling the average money received is under one pound per week while engaged in it, which is money advanced, on which interest haa to be paid, while the Government require us to pay Is per acre annually for rent, and ask outsiders only 6d per acre. There is not a well-stocked store in the settlement; consequently those of us without grown-up children often spend three days per week in getting food. !No wonder, then, that some of us make no more than 10s per week at bush-felling. Sometimes we have tc travel over 20 miles through a sea of mud on the mere chance of getting Hour, tea, etc., to carry home : the flour at) 18s per 1001b, potatoes at 9s per cwt, brown sitgjir at 5d per ib, and tea at 3s, etc. Wβ tind that the fern land is not suitable for potatoes as a first crop. Some of us applied for grass seed, after our first burn oft over three months ago, and have not yet received it, partly owing to the difficulty of any steamer getting into the portot Whangape about 10 miles distant. The printed re» gulations issued to applicants stake thab the allowance for bush-felling will be paid monthly. The village steward visits us once in about every four months, and it is next to impossible to get paid for bush-felling at any other time. The former Government paid £■20 each for houses fo* which the present Government in their successful policy of thinning out the settlements would only pay £15, at the same time it is impossible to erect such houses under a cost of £25 each. Among other actions they have reduced considerably the former amounts paid for making unmetalled bridle tracks to eachr section through the bush. In conclusion, Mr. Editor, I solemnly state that if the greater part of the people here had the means to reach Auckland, there would be a thorough stampede hence. A few sign*, tnres are appended, it only requires time to, obtain many more.—l am, VSBDCAS. Herekiuo. August it 1888,