THE DEVELOPMENT OF MARLBOROUGH

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1536, 7 August 1901, Page 25

THE DEVELOPMENT OF MARLBOROUGH

In a recent issue we referred to the valuable work which is being done by the Marlborough Land and Railway * League, and to the commercial importance to the city of Wellington of the development of the resources of the Marlborough district. Last week an influential deputation from the League waited upon the Cabinet and placed before the Right Hon the Premier and his colleagues the importance of immediately purchasing one or more of the large estates on the line of railway and proceeding vigorously with the construction of the through line from Blenheim to Waipara and thence to Christchurch. The reply they received was by no means satisfactory. Writing on this subject, “A Wellington Patriot” says : —The Cabinet does not appear to fully grasp the immense gain to the revenue of the speedy prosecution of this national work. The policy indicated by the Government of spreading the construction of our main lines of railway over a long period of years is unsound in every respect. The loss of interest on the capital expended on uncompleted lines of railway during the past twenty years is stated to be over two millions sterling, and it is time that ordinary business principles should prevail in connection with railway construction. South Africa and Rhodesia are object lessons in railway building, which His Majesty’s Ministers in New Zealand wduld do well to examine. The provincial district of Marlborough has many claims on the colony through the failure to give it a fair proportion of ! public expenditure, and the evil times through which its people have passed. At this juncture of its affairs it is well to recall some phases of its history. In the early days of the colony a considerable migration took place from the province of Wellington to that of Marlborough—pioneer settlers like the late Sir Frederick A. Weld, Sir Charles Clifford, I and others selling out their sheep runs in the Wairarapa and settling on the Marlborough lands in preference. The warm genial climate on that side of Cook Strait, and the healthy character of the hills and valleys for sheep breeding purposes made the district especially attractive to the wealthy settler, more especially as the latter was able to acquire large areas at what would now .be regarded as a merely nominal price. For a number I of vears the provincial district of MariI borough was recognised a» thft especial j home of the aristocratic sheep farmer, j who would not tolerate “a cockatoo far. i mer,” and generally felt that, as respected society, position and standing, he was the hub of the New Zealand universe. That great democrat the rabbit, however, appeared on the scene, and rapidly revolutionised the district. He swarmed in countless thousands over every property, ate up the grass, and made the properties valueless as sffeep runs. After years of this, nearly every large landowner in the province was practically ruined. The banks and finance companies foreclosed their mortgages, and the sun of Marlborough’s prosperity appeared to have set.

But the years that have passed have brought a change, The rabbit has dis» apphured. "-tie was ana is not, ' a nd to. day it is.diffkult to get a good day’s rabbit shooting in any part of the provincial district of Marlboiough. Tne result is, that the land is back to iti old &) nd* ard, and that Marlborough has resumed its former position as one of the finest districts in t.iie colony for settlement and stock ana sheep breeding. It has done more than this; subdivision of. some of the large areas and close settlement lia.shown it to be a great agricultural district, and that its hills in this respect are almost as fruiful as its loa=t. lying lands. These facts are only beginning to filter into the minds of the general public, and it is therefore small wonder that even to-day Marlborough is looked upon by a large number of people as u rabbit-infested district of little value. The importance of recognising the tru* position may be summed up thus : —Marlborough is the highway through which the great Southern raihray system must pass its passengers and mails for Lh'North Island. The construction of the

connecting link of railway between Blenheim and Christchurch is of para* mount importance to the whole colony. Every man employed upon that work, and every Aveek which passes, is enhanc. ing the value of every acre of land on either side of that main line of railway. And yet, although this is admitted, tone

of thousands of acres of rich and fruitful lands, which would make happy for thousands of settlers, are allowed to remain in the hands of some half-dozen owners, without the Goernm'mt making any real effort to acquire them for set. tlement. Kailway constiuction cannot stand still. The development of the country must proceed apace, and yet the supine folly of delay in getting the compulsory clauses of the Land for Settlement Act put in force will probably cost the colony a quarter of a million sterling as extra purchase money to the owners. Twc years ago these estates could have been purchased for 25 per cent, less than their value to-day. What they will be worth five years hence, when a true apprecia. tion of the importance of the Mar'bor. ough district has been arrived at, it is difficult to estimate. Enough has been said to justify strong and vigorous action, and to show the members for the city and district of Wellington that they should join hands with their fellow* members on the opposite coast, and se. cure at the hands of the Government justice and development for a district as intimately connected with our own