VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1424, 15 June 1899, Page 46

VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS.

HOROWHENUA AND LEVIN SETTLERS. VISIT BY THE LAND BOARD. Complaints as to the size of holdings led the members of the Land Board to pay a visit to the Horowhenua and Levin village settlements, an inspection of which they commenced on Thursday morning. The -arty, which journeyed up from Wellington and comprised the Commissioner ot Crown Lands (Mr J. W. Marcnant), and Messrs Field, Stevens, Hogg, M.sli.R., and Reese, who were met at Levin by Mr Lundius, Crown Lands Ranger, who accompanied the party in all their peregrinations. Also attached to the party were Mr Stuckey, the pioneer settler of Levin, and Mr Bartholomew, whose splendidly-equipped sawmill is one of the show places of the district. Soon after arrival the Board was met by a deputation from the settlers of the Horowhenua Village Settlement. They presented a petition pointing out that since taking up the secWons they had made great improvements, but their sections were too small, and they required additional land to enable them to make a living. The Board and the settlers then prooeeded to discuss the matter at considerable length. One settler remarked that as long as they could get work outside they would be all right, but the land would not carry sufficient stock to enable them to make a living off it without exterior aid, and when the bush which fed the sawmills was worked out they would have to go somewhere else to get assistance in making a living. Another settler remarked that the unfortunate part was that the small sections consisted of stony land, and all the best land had been devoted to twenty-five and thirty acre sections. He added that he had carried enough stones off one acre of hit- section to metal twelve chains of road, and there were still plenty left. When the settler added that he carried the stones off his section in kerosene tins a distance of several chains, the members of the Board fairly gasped with astonishment. The Commissioner asked if the employment at the mills was likely to cease shortly. Mr James said most of them were employed by Mr Bartholomew. The mills would cut out in about eighteen months.

Mr Hogg said it would take about«wo years to cut out that frontage. The Commissioner asked how the settlers proposed the holdings should be enlarged—he supposed they wanted a part of No. 6 block, which had lately been acquired by the Crown. ‘‘Yes,” was the reply; “that is our idea.” The nearer the better, the Bottlers observed, because it was no good having additional land any considerable distance from their present holdings. “What additional amount do you require?” asked the Commissioner, and the reply was .that if the settlers could get an aggregate of fifty acres they Would be satisfied. That, they said, was about as small a holding as a man could make a living on. They would continue to live on their present holdings. The Commissioner pointed out that there was considerable trouble in enlarging village holdings. Where land lay contiguous to a village or section the Board had the power, with the consent Of the Minister of Lands, to give additional land. If the land was at any distance from the holdings he was not aware of any law by whioh it cgruld be done. He did not want them to be too sanguine about this matter. The present holdings had up to the present time served! tueir purpose; they had given, the settlers homes, and a certain additional income to what they would get by labour. The point was this—Would the sections, if placed on the market, be taken up by other men?

“Not at anything like the amount of capital we have invested,” was the reply. The larger holdings, it was added, would, however, be taken up at any iaoment.

“Suppose,” said the Commissioner, ■“the market is fed steadily and quietly ; are there men willing to take up these five and ten acre sections?”

“ They won’t take over ours; they’re all stone broke,” came the prompt reply. “Is there,” asked the Commissioner, “any tendency on the part of the five and ten acre men to buy up their neighbours’ holdings alongside ?” “No,” was the reply; “the improvements are so great that the price is prohibitive.” “Supposing,” said the Commissioner, “it is possible under the present law to enlarge your holdings, how would you regard the cutting up of No. 6 block into small areas, and letting other village settlers into the district ?” “It would only make things worse,” said Mr James. “They could not make a living on the small holdings any better than we can.” The party then proceeded to visit the various sections in the settlement, forty-seven s in all, ranging from five to fifty acres. At the Weraroa end

of the settlement the land is remarkably stony, and it was in respect of these sections that the chief requests for additional land were made. Digging in such land, said a settler, was heart-breaking, and stumping and cropping were a weariness of the flesh. Notwithstanding this, however, most of the sections presented ample evidence of a degree of perseverance in breaking in tho land that- reflected great credit on those who had taken up their abodes in that part of the district. One settler had to show a number of varieties of poultry, which would present a good-

ly appearance at any show in the colony, while in most cases orchards were well under way, and in every section could be seen vegetables of various descriptions. In one instance a settler had pub down a number of grapevines, but want of care, caused by his having to find work temporarily elsewhere, had resulted in their being neglected, and the full value of the experiment had not been ascertained. More, however, will probably he done in this connection in future. In another case a settler (Mr Sylvester) had taken up the industry of making baskets from split supplejacks, but as the supplejacks are worked out, Mr Sylvester is urging the Land Board to supply him with land suitable for growing osiers. In almost every case neat cottages had been erected, and what with pigs, poultry, orchards, gardens, and cows, the settlement generally presentee a decidedly prosperous appearance.

With regard to the complaint of the holders of the smaller sections that they required more land, the question certainly seemed to present itself as to whether or not the sections had been developed up to their full capacity. If dairyfaiaiiiftg is the ambition of the settlers, emu'se five or ten acres is not sufficient; but if close cultivation is aimed at, then the sections would appear to be capable of very much closer culture. That is a matter which the Board will doubtless consider in dealing with the representations of the settlers on tho subject. Glorious weather prevailed for the inspection, but as the shades of night had begun to fall by the time the last settler had been interviewed, the members of the Board decided to stay in the locality for the night, and make an inspection of the Levin settlements on the following day. Quarters were accordingly procured at the Weraroa Hotel, where Mr Williams had provided an excellent repast and comfortable accommodation—both very welcome after a long day’s work over the settlement.