VILLAGE SETTLEMENT. Auckland, November 4.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 182, 11 December 1886, Page 4

VILLAGE SETTLEMENT. Auckland, November 4.

A meeting of persons interested in the promotion of the Village Settlement Scheme was held last evening in the TemperanceHall, Albert-street, at 8 o'clock. There was a good attendance, 86veral ladies being present. Mr George Warburton was voted to the chair, and opened the proceedings by reading the advertisement convening the meeting He said he was rather interested in any scheme propounded by the Government that had the object of settling people on the lands. He hart come uul under John Williamsons forty-acre system, but he had yet been utterly unable to find his section. Ho thought the preeentwasths best system yet propounded by the Govornment.and homight mention that Mr Balknce and Mr Lundon wore virtually the fathers of tbo scheme. Mr Lundon then came forward, and eaid that his roason for calling them together was to say that the Auckland Eudowmenfe was now open to select n-s under the Village Settlement Schome. lo was .situated on a navigable river, and was called the Punakateii Block. In a fortnight's time this block would be thrown open. It was the beat block yet offered, as it was within half-a-mile of wheie the s.s Hannah Mokau used to run. There were still some lote open for selection in the Victoria Valley, Iho land was worth £10 an aero, and they could kick a crop in, and then kick it out again, the land was so good. 11, was a disgrace to the unemployed that such land was left abegging. Men miyht go there and form home-teads. and thuj, become independent Tl-e Albeitland settlement years ago had been pitched on bad land,and yot none of these settlers had cjme back to live in the Old Mcn'o R o [ u^e. When he heard that there were 400 unemployed in Auckland, -who wont dow^ to i/ac wharf to hear Mr Garrard talk nonsense, he thought it was time to offer them land. They could now choose from any land that was in the possession of the Government. He had not yet heard of any settler who had thrown up his selection and come back to town dissatisfied with his choice* They should remember that they were really masters of the Gove) nmenr, and that if the Ministry did not please they could kick. them out every three years. He reminded them that Mr Ballance had promised to put the women and children on the blocks free of charge What was mor* , the promise was being carried out. There -A-ae another block of 27,500 acres in the MangarmabaBlock, near Hokianga, w'/ieh wtu also open for selection. There was a graded road to that land, and if twenty men would select thore he would put them on at one time, and during the winter they would be pub ou to make the roads, as £33,000 had boon voted towards making roads to the land.3. At Arakena there was a block of immensely rich land. It was near Whangabay B arbour. If" 15 or 20 men would solect ] o.ud there, Captain McGregor would put on a ateamerto take them down. There were plenty of pigs and fish to bo had for catching, and a gumfield of 100,000 acres was uot faraway. Another block was at Mongonui Bluff, not far from Kaihou Valley. As the Union Sask and Door Company had a splendid bush cloro there, it was probable that therewould shortly be plenty of employment. When they got their lease, they were also supplied with a license to dig gum, and no other but selectors had a right to dig on these fields. There was a lot of bad land in the North between here and WhangarGi, but at the Bay or Inlands there was really good land. Unfortunately, it waa at present • held by the Maoris and missionaries. At Hokianga there was 400,000 acres of real good land Somehow,the people down there had not cultivated the land. It was because there was so much timber to be cut out. He would say to the young mon : "Get a wife and two fifty-acre lots and form a homestead for yourselves." Ho meant to represent Hokianga at the next election, and if they found him mis-stating things^ then they need not vote for him, la the country the young people get married* but they could not aiford to do' bo in town, however fine they looked. Ho specially wished them to consider the Auckland endowment, which, as he had already said, would be open in two weeks. He would guarantee them work in the winter, but not in the summer, as the settler would need to fell his bush and get a houso built before the bad weather commencod. Mr Lundon resumed his seat amidst considerable applause. 6he Chairman said that a fortnight" ago he bad come across a village settler at Swanson who was well satisfied with the choice. He was within fiva minutes' walk of the railway station. It wag true the land was not of the best, but still it adjoined the railway, and waa also close to the city. The Government were still cutting up blocks in the same neighbour1 hood, which would be open to selectors, He then asked forpaidons to ask queetionß or make complaints if they had any. In ivply to questions, Mr Lundon stated that the £40 for clearing the land was only lent to the settlers, for which they had to pay 5 per cent, ; but perhaps in the future the Government might see fit to condone^ those claims, The money waa really lent in order to further the scheme. The Auckland endowment contained 1,500 aores, and was half-a-mile from tho landing place. A selector got a title within six months of his selection. Surveyors wero already working on all the blocks at present open, Atter somo further discussion the meeting terminated.

Russian General — Here, Lieutenant, take thia dispatch to Gen. Ohcomeoff, at Moscow and see that you get back by 4 o'clock this afternoon. Lieutenant— But, General, itia fifty miles to Moscow, Russian General Nonsense,; it's only a few footßteps. •• Tit-bits " tells the story of a conductor: on a slow railroad who told one passenger that he had been on the road for nine year^ "Then said the passenger, "thia musti b& your second trip.'^