TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 1024, 15 July 1871, Page 21

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir —Several letters have appeared in your paper on this subject, and one in particular haa attraoted my attention thiß morning, in ■whiohyour correspondent quotes Martin'sßiy as an illustration of what may be looked for if the " Otago Settlements Act" is to be extended to Stewart's Island and other plaoes. Now, Sir, any one who has given the subject his consideration, oaunot but ooma to the conclusion that the want of success, bo far as Martin's Bay is concerned, is in a great measure owing to the neglect of the Government in not establishing proper communication with the outside world (so to speak), and enabling persons to go and take with them provisions and what else was required for making a home in a new place. But what are the facts of the case ? It is now something like eighteen months since a survey party landed at Martin's Bay, for the purpose of preparing the land for being taken up ior occupation by settlers. Shortly after that time, a great many persons were anxious to locate themselves there, but the Government of the day did not think fit to subsidise a steamer for that purpose. In fact, with the exception of a small ketch, the EBther Ann (which, by the way, came to grief), no vessel was sent from Duaedin for at least ten months after the establishing of the settlement. Certainly a small steamer, the Waipara, subsidised by the Westland Government to attend to the wants of the miners along their part of the coast, through the courtesy of her master and at the expense of Westland, paid the settlement a visit. What is the result of thia ? The place iB quite as far from being settled now as it was two years ago. I know miners myself who went overland from Queensfcowu, some even from Dunedin —strong, able-bodied, and stout-hearted fellows —who came with the full intention of giving the place a fair trial, in a mining point of view ; but bad actually to retrace their stepß without trying a prospect, simply for want of provisions. Con-

aequently the resources of the place in this reßpeot are no more known to-day than they were when the settlement of Martin's Bay was first mooted ; but in place of this, all visitors have the same hungry tale to tell, and Martin's Bay can only boast of a regulation that would mar the settlement of a paradise, let alone a provincial wilderness. Then, again, look at the Settlements Act itself. You can draw a coach- and- four through it. Did it never, I wonder, enter <the heads of the framers of the Bill (which provides that any person 16 years of ai?e oan, on application, free of cost, obtain 50 aoreß of land), to place » foe of, any L 5, to be refunded aftor a year's residence on the 1 land? lam confident, had such a provision been made, not one teuth of the land now taken tip by a 1 aeutees at Martin's Bay would have been so taken up j and consequently a great saving in the way of survey. This is an error of no small magnitude, for it keeps the real hona fide settler back. For instance, a man who wants to settle, goes and selects a section ; comes to the Land Office, and is told "Oh, that belongs to So-and-so," perhaps a steward of the Waipara, or a stoker or cabin-boy of Borne other crafc. In short, it has been taken up by some one (and none can blamu him), who simply made the application on the chance of something turning up in two years (the sort of grace allowed), which practically means locking up the land for that period. Can it be wondered at that our "special settlements," under circumstances like these, wither in the :.ud ? They must be nourished in their infancy, for, plant them where you Hke, they will come to grief if you do not proteot them until they are able to protec themselves. — I am, &c, Investigator.

As an evidence of the severity of the frost up- country, we read in the Oamaru Times that the Otekaike and Marewhenua rivers J were frozen over, the ice on the former being so thick that it was crossed by persona on horseback.