The Sounds.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 1, Issue 37, 3 June 1890, Page 2

The Sounds.

We feel it our duty to, once more refer to the difficulties under which the settlers in the Hounds labour, anti also to the beneficial results which would follow if some attention were paid to. this part of the country. Wt understand there has been paid to Government in rents something over £4OO per annum for 20 years, or a total ol £BOOO, and all the settlers have received in return has been a few inexpensive tracks and a paltry mail service at a cost of £2O per annum to serve 250 miles of coast line. Is this kind of treatment likely to encourage settlement ? Is it to be wondered at that the land is not more quickly settled ? Instead of affording every facility and offering every inducement for people to take up land, it would seem that every obstacle is placed in their way to prevent them, and we are not at all surprised that really good men are leaving our shores almost daily to seek a home in other lands where more attention is paid to their wants in the matter of settling on the land. The Sounds are acknowledged to be second to no other place in the Colony for growing small fruits in particular, vegetables, and farm produce in general. As an instance of this one settler informed us that he had produced 26 tons of onions to the acre, and they invariably had new pototoes and green peas by the Ist November. Now, it is well-known aticst~ot»rly £etxtia ~ aa<l v*got(vblo» - Trill always find a ready pie in Wellington at good prices, bub what is the use of producing any quantity if there is no regular or easy means of transmit. What is really necessary to increase settlement in the Sounds and encourage those already located there is to have a regular steam service. The settlers are never likely to require any very large expenditure in the way of roads, nor are they ever likely to have a railway, this being the case they are justly entitled to a fair expenditure of the public money in another direction. They want a regular mail service at least once a week, but to make that service doubly advantageous it should be done by steamer. By this means the settlers could receive their correspondence and obtain their supplies every week regularly without going to the trouble as at present of pulling a boat for ten or even thirty miles to post a letter or obtain household supplies. A sufficient sum should therefore be granted as a mail subsidy as would offer encouragement to the owner, say, of the Waitapu, to run weekly, and call at a few of the principal points down the Sounds to ‘deliver mails and discharge or take in cargo. We are aware of one settler who lost 3d per pound on half a ton of butter through not getting it to market in proper time in consequence of the deficient mail service and irregular steam communication. Without any doubt the settlers in these parts have been neglected in a most shameful manner, and it is nearly time they received substantial reparation for the treatment they have been subjected to in the past.