CORRESPONDENCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1053, 26 June 1880, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

[We Mo not liolil ourselve* responsible for {opinions expressed by correspondents.] [To the Editor of the Herald.] Sir, — Whilst forcing on the notice of the Government the importance to the district of the subdivision and joint tenancy question being settled at once, which, from the late telegrams, we have some reason to hops, is likely to bo, first we should not forget to urge on the necessity of opening up and developing the latent wealth of this County, by the completion of all the Government land purchases in the district without further delay ; also, the making of a dray road from Gisborne to Wairoa, and from Gisborne to Waiapu, thus placing those lauds in such a position, that parties purchasing could ocoupy with advantage. The cost of forming the roads would be more than recouped by the extra amount obtained for the land, through it being made available. There are in the County of Cook over Beven hundred and twenty thousand acres of land, either purchased or under negotiation for purchase by the Government, and out of that vast extent of country, only a small portion of Patutahi and Ormond have been sold, or placed in a position for sale. Therefore, I again repeat, that all due pressure should be brought to bear on the Government, to complete, without further delay, the titles to all lands under negotiation ; and to have those lands placed in the market upon deferred payments, and otherwise, in such way as would be considered to be the greatost advantage to the County. There are about, in round numbers, one million eight hundred and forty thousand icres of land in the i County of Cook ; of this amount about seven hundred and twenty thousand acres may be considered to belong to the Government ; five hundred and thirty thousand acres are in the possession of Europeans, under various tenures acquired privately, leaving about five hundred and ninety thousand acres in the possession of the Maories. The bulk of tlie latter is situated at the East Cape, at Maungapohatu, and at the mountain ranges of Whakapunaki, between here and Wairoa. To manage this great estate at advantage, I consider there should be a local Land Board at Gisborne. I would also urge the necessity of a Registrar of Deeds office being established at Gisborne.— *l am, &c. , Advance.

[To the Editor of the Herald.] Sir, — I would claim a small spaoe of your columns to briefly oomment upon the action taken by certain ratepayers assembled in public meeting at the Makuraka Hall, on Monday evening last. To affirm that a ft per oent rate is excessive, and that a lesser sum is more acceptible is an easy matter. I doubt if any number of a collective gathering would deliborately deny a proposition to effect the curtailment or abolition of taxation of any or every description. It is reasonable to suppose that without the exercise of much thought, or without the remotest idea as to the consequence, that such a proposition would be oarried. But to refleotive minds, to, persons who have capaoity and intelligence, and a desire to promote the beat interests of the district, even though it be by some self'Saorifioe, it seeing inexplicable that, under the existing oiroumstanoes, guch an utter absurd motion as that with reference to the reduction of the County rate, after it had heen struck, could have been mooted, let alone carried at a public meeting, Those who took a principal interest in the matter, must, I think, be actuated by motives of pure selfishness, inasmuch as roads are being now constructed, twt out of the rates, which will solely benefit the majority of those who composed the meeting. And yet they desire by limiting tho funds at tho disposal of the County to deprive

the outlying districts of the means of obtaining as good roads as what they at present have. The agitation appears, in the face of the withdrawal of Government subsidies, to be an insane one, for this is just the time that increased rates if possible should be made. The ratepayers of the Gisborne Riding, or the middle district have had the largest share of County expenditure, and in addition thereto, the £5,000 granted by the Government. What special right thoy have had to it, I cannot conceive, and yet these are the settlers who state they represent the public voice when they demand a reduction of rate to 2£ per cent. Looking only to their own interests, they imagine that having obtained what they want, it is time to cease paying for the construction of roads in the outlying districts, which have, it mußt be confessed, been sadly neglected in comparison with the more-favoured Gisborne Riding. If settlers were well to consider the matter they would not join the movement, nor sign tlie petition, and I sincerely trust Councillors will not be so weak or foolish as to accede to it. The resolution carried at that meeting, which was oalled at a very short notice, cannot be considered the expression of the majority of the ratepayeJS. I am, &c, Ratepayer.