VIEW HILL NOTES.

Oxford Observer, Volume V, Issue V, 19 May 1894, Page 3

VIEW HILL NOTES.

BtDemob.

By a telegram^*- the: " LytteHonj Times "of the lOibiiist. I notice

that the Midland Railway Company are offering to find the money to finish i the Springfield-Beefton section cf the railway, on certain conditions, one of which is that they shall he exempt from local rates. The sublime audacity of this company is something wonderful. Have not the unfortunate taxpayers of New Zealand suffered enough through this company already ? Why ! did not these people offer to find the money for this work when they took the contract ? of course they did. From the very' start of the Government having any transactions with these people there has been nothing but shuffeling by them. Concession after concession has been pressed for by them, and m most cases granted. They have never attempted to carry on the work as if they were m earnest to complete it m. the contract time ; and what security have we if they are granted fresh favours that any better results will be obtained than heretofore? This Company has held all our Crown lands m this part of the Colony and the population has been driven to seek homes against their will m distant parts, and every attempt made to induce them to cut up the land into suitable blocks for close settlement has failed. Our .Government 1 repeatedly asked them, when selling land to sub- 1 .devide the blocks so as to encourage settlement, but m every case they persistently refused to do so ; m no case would they consider the wishes of ■ the Ministry or the welfare of the Colony, and yet- they have the cool j effrontery to ask for what New Zealand could not grant her very best settlers. ' It was an unfortunate day for Canterbury when the Government entered into the contract with the Midland Bailway Company and hypothecated onr lands for ten years to them. Settlement m this province has been at a standstill ever since. What lands they have sold has been parted with m large holdings against the wish of the . Government and the people, to the de : trement of the Colony, and yet forsooth they expect, exceptional liberality to be extended to them. From the 'tin?e the contract was taken they appear to have intended to trade on the Colooy's leniency so as to extort as many con.cessions as possible. In the first instance they were to hold the land only m alternate blocks and if that arrangement had not been deviated from something like settlement might have gone on, but that did not suit them, so they got complete control over all the land between certain boundries and stagnation m settlement has been the result. There would be no use m enumerating the various concessions granted to these contractors but it is to be hoped no more will be extended to them. We have a Liberal Government m power now, a Government which has done and is doing more than 'has ever been done before m settling the lands of the colony, so whatever fresh corV- 1 ditions are made, the company, are; -pretty sure to have to give up the lands ■ to the Government, so that they ' may ; be dealt with under the land laws of i the Colony. ..■''..,