THE MINISTER OF LANDS AT FERN FLAT AND ORURU.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9255, 8 January 1889, Page 5

THE MINISTER OF LANDS AT FERN FLAT AND ORURU.

A meeting was held at Fern Flat on the 29th December, 1888, to receive the Minis- [ fcer of Lands, Messrs. Hobbs (member for f this district), Thompson (of Marsden), and 3 R. M. Houston, late chairman of this county r (Mangonui), and last, but not least, Mr. ' Ivavanagh, our amiable friend and just j steward. After being introduced to the 1 settlers, the visitors rode round the settle--1 ment, and returned and started business. 3 Mr. Bonsfielcl welcomed them on behalf . of the settlers, and stated that they would j be very pleased to hear what Mr. Richard--1 son (the Minister) had to say, also to give him any information he might require, for . the good of any scheme for settling the' . people on the Crown lands ox the colony. 1 After Mr. Thompson had partly explained 1 away a statement made by him (re the 5 loafers and schemers of Auckland), by pro--1 mising to send a copy of his speech, so that 3 we could read the spirit it was said in, and f find out for ourselves that he (the " devil") I was not so black as he had been painted, f The Minister then asked several questions . relative to our future welfare, and was . pleased with the frank and favourable x answers he receivod, and he promised to j have the road finished, so that a dray could 3 go to the settlement in safety, and then 1 open up some more land, whioh in this ! district, i 3 all first-class land, and as good I land as can be got in the North. He also 3 made the concession of- allowing the village j settlers to compete with the public for more land in the district, as his opinion was that 3 fifty acres was not sufficient for a man when j it was all bush. He expressed regret that the late Government made the selection of land so hasty, when, with a little more j care, things could have been more satis- , factory. s We have in vain tried to secure a school . for the children, and we brought this under the notice of the Minister and Mr. Hobbs. 3 Mr. Thompson also took an interest in the j matter, and all promised to use their united . efforts to get a school for what is the smalll est settlement in size, but which will com--9 pare favourably with settlements much 1 larger for tho amount of cultivation and work done. After various other questions had been asked and answered, the compliments of . the season passed, the settlers one and all t gave three hearty cheers for the Minister, r Messrs. Hobbs, Thompson, Houston, and [ Kavanagh, individually. j 1 At the request of Mr. Kavanagh, a few potatoes were dug out of Mr. Bonsfield's j garden, and pronounced by all the visitors ( to be as good a sample as had been grown , in the district for a considerable time. The [. other settlers have also crops that they are I not ashamed to show to anyone for quality and quantity, considering tho time they ' have been on their sections, and I havß no j doubt that there will be some prizes taken 7 by us at our next agricultural show, held at Kaitaia.[Own Correspondent.]