WEST COAST SETTLEMENT RESERVES.

Opunake Times, Volume II, Issue 95, 31 May 1895, Page 3

WEST COAST SETTLEMENT RESERVES.

(to the editor.) Sir, — It is time to be up and doing when we are distinctly told that the Native Trustee is solely for the natives, and the sturdy settler has to exhaust his labor and capital in eradicating flax, fern, ti tree, bush, and a host of barriers that have to be removed before anything is received back from the land, and in doing all this he does not receive fourpence an hour for time spent on things to be removed to make way for his home. “ Home,” did I say ? Not yet ; the Autocrat Trustee has a say about that. -If you have not kept up to the copy of the Irish landlords’ lease out you can go any time, and I would wager a good lawyer could evict 75 per cent of the tenants by the stringent and useless covenants of their leases. We will take insurance. Now what his that to do with the natives, whom his Honor professes to so well look after ? It is, in fact, in their favor, for if a settler’s house is. burned down the natives will not have to pay or allow that much less for improvements, but of course in these degenerated times there might be a commission sticking out. If we are to have Paddy’s strict lease (that fixed and loaded so many blunderbusses) by all that’s lovely give 'the settler the benefit part of it. That is, the landlord pays taxes under schedule A on his value of the land, and the tenant under schedule B on his improved value, but in this case the tenant has to pay one aud all. Why not let a third of the rent go towards the roads on the native estate, aud that of course will enhance the future value of the laud. At the expiration of our present leases none except the rent will remain the same .as at present. It is an unlimited liability company—the natives smoke the cigar and the poor tenants do the expectorating part. It is impossible to keep bush or other roads with present rates. Take mine : I have 7o chains of frontage to road, for which I pay 8s of Road Board tax. What would that do in forming the above number of chains ? Say a special loan were raised to metal that road at fourpence in the pound; would 8s keep that road in repair afterwards ? Never. Settlers of the West Coast, up and fight your battles. Let your watchword be “ Unity.” Form a Tenants Alliance League. Put no man into Parliament that is not worthy of your trust. What did a member of the present Government lately tell you? —We have not taxed you on your impirovements, but you are not to mind, only, that every staple you drive in, every coil of wire you use and a host of other things, you are paying 20 to 25 per cent duty on, and other trades can get in duty free what they require in their use. Our present ruler of our country had a taste of our prophet a few days since, and now well he knows the natives arc not the down-trodden race they are represented. I hope he will see his way to bend their stiff necks to keep our roads in repair, and by what I know of Te Whiti there was nothing in the pocket of his coat before lie put it on his mate’s back. I once heard of an honest lawyer. He died, aud was the first who went to heaven. Verdict of angels : “ Died of starvation.” What will be the verdict on the lawyer who wrote the West Coast Settlement Reserve leases ? Beelzebub will say: “ Come, thou faithful servant, you have made many curse and swear that took up leases under the West Coast Settlement Reserves, so another shovelful of coals out of respect for you, old boy.” Chorus on„earth from West Coast: “ Poke up the coals, boys ! ”—I am, Sec., Tentanda Via Est.