MONTHLY SUMMARY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 1112, 5 August 1871, Page 5 (Supplement)

MONTHLY SUMMARY.

Railway in Taranaei. — Ye publish two letters from a Company of Gtago contractors ■ — one to the Colonial Secretary and one to the Superintendent of this Province, relative to the construction of railways on the West Coast. The letter to the Colonial Secretary is dated June, 1870, and is a general proposal to survey a line of railway from Wauganui to Patea, and tender for its construction at the rate of £5,000 per mile, part payment to be in land estimated at £1 per acre ; but fcheystipulate that they would require to be pnf~Tn~p"osr session of all private lands required to be taken in forming the line, but would relieve the Government of the expense of surveying and subdividing the land given in part payment. The Colonial Secretary in reply, stated that the matter would be considered by the Government, and it appears that the consideration is still in progress, as nothing bus come of it. The second letter is addressed to the Superintendent, and is dated June, 1871 ; a period of twelve months having elapsed the proposal seems to have somovvhat developed itself. The writers state that they are still prepared to carry out the proposal made to tbe Colonial Secretary, and complete a railway from Wanganui to New Plymouth ready for work at the rate of £5,000 per mile. The stipulation to be placed in possession of private lands is no longer insisted on, as they propose to purchase them at their own cost. With regard to the land beyond the Waitotara River, that is the New Plymouth side, they state that, they will take land in payment for the work, at the rate of one acre for every pound expended on the works. They also state that when the railway line is fixed on, that they intend to commence the surveying and subdividing of the land set apart as payment, and to dispose of the same, so that the railway works and colonisation may be carried on simultaneously. To facilitate this desirable end, itistheirinfentionto circulate large numbers of their land maps with popularly written essays on the facilities connected with the acquisition of land, and the advantages to bederived from v settling in such a country as New Zealand, particularly during the time such extensive public works are being carried on. Agents would be appointed in Europe, America, and the Australian Colonies, especially in the latter countries, in order to secure a number of enterprising and experienced colonists withoutdelay . Inducements would also be.held out to persons who propose to engage in the manufacture of flax and iron, and other native products, by setting apart and granting sites more particularly adapted forsueh industries ; andfinally,due care would be taken to reserve sites for churches, institutes, and other public purposes. Such is the proposal submitted to the Superintendent for his consideration — a scheme of railway works and colonisation calculated to be of great benefit to the Colony if the promoters are only capable of carrying one to their completion tbe works they propose. Of course, in a proposal of this nature, the brief compass of a letter is insufficient to unfold the extent of the ■contractor's undertakings, or his expectations as regards the nature of the land payment. We understand it to mean that they are willing to construct a railway from Patea to New I'lymonth — say, one hundred miles for 500,000 acres of land. We have more than donble that extent of confiscated lands, so that there is no scarcity of the article asked iv payment. As nothing is said as regard to the site of the land to be given, it is presumed that at is to be along the line when practicable. When it is understood that it would require a block of land eight miles deep ±he whole length of the railway, it will ■be found that a material difficulty, as regards terms, will occur iv agreeing as to the blocks of land to be given as payment. From Patea to the Waiugoagoro, the only land available near the 3ine is the railway reserve half a mile wide ; of this, small portions are given, in ten-acre blocks, to military settlers. The only other land available iv that district would be some two miles inland of the railway— say, 20,000 acres. Passing the Waingongoro, there is a fine folock of laud Jying between that river and the Kaipokonni — some 50,009 acres i in area — and from thence to the Tangatara, the southern boundary of the Opunake block ; we estimate the land available at about the same quantity. The Opunake l)!oek, some 20,000 acres, is given to natives ; *o is the land from Sfcjuey River to Warea. The block between Warea and the, Gpunake* block we estimate at 30,000 acres. In these estimates we include — say, a milo of bush ; estimating it at equal value to the open land, but we have not allowed for any reserves for natives, except the Opunake block, and the block from Stoney River to Waiwarenui ; reserves would be required for the Pariaka, the Oeo, and Kaipokonui Natives. Leaving •out of this calculation the native reserve, we have here a total of 150,000 acres available in the vicinity of the line, the balance of 350.000 acres required would have to be got by going deeper into the forest, and by running a block into the c ntre of the Province round the base of Mount Egmont. Unfortunately we are placed in an embarrassing situation with regard to public works. The Geueral Government send ati approved official formula inviting us to participate in the scheme of public works and immigration, one of the conditions being that the Provincial Government set apart land for the purpose, the Government knowing all the time that the Province has no land at its disposal, the whole of the public estate being in the hands of the General Government, who have ample power and means placed at its disposal by the General Assembly

to deal with it. Under these circumstances this offer is a very tantalising one. Supposing it to be lond fide, it is evidently one that ought to be accepted, but as the local government cannot deal with the matter, we hope that the • Provincial Council will, by an unanimous vote, urge on the Colonial Government the adoption of the scheme if they are satisfied that the proposers are capable to carry out the work to a satisfactory conclusion. — Taranaki Herald, July 19.

-The—Wants of TARANAKn^^Aa-frWrneetftig-•of the New Zealand Parliament is close at hand, it will not be amiss perhaps to suggest, for tbe consideration of our representatives, a few of the wants of this Province in the way i of public works ; not that we wish to i intimate that the subject, in all its bearings, has not been reviewed by these gentlemen, bub simply that our impressions, derived from a variety of sources, may present new aspects not before contemplated. We | have three pressing wants — land, roads, and population. We place our wants iv their natural sequence, tiand is the first necessity : without land, ou which to locate people, there can be no progress. It may sound rather strange to outsiders this cry for land wrung from a patient, long-suffering people, but it is no imaginary want — it is a real one ; the land is in the hands of the worst of all squatters — tbe Maori squatter ! No dog in the manger ever snarled so selfishly at the mild industrions ox as the Maoris do at the pakehas in this Province who would extend their boundaries. Yet the laud of the Province, as far as cultivation is concerned, is practically untouched. The peak of our glorious mountain commands the range of our provincial boundary and more ; and the adventurous tourist who scales its sublime heights, can from that elevated position, survey a grand prospect. A large extent of virgin country — millions of acres are round him within the compass of his vision. On the coasfc line, in the distance, the puny cultivations are barely visible ; so insignificant are they compared to the vast area of sombre forest, and russet fern which extends Jill round the mountain's base. Here lie hundreds of thousands of acres untrodden by the foot of man — white or brown — and yet to the industrious settlers this country is as a sealed book. We are starving 1 in the .

midst of plenty, because a few aboriginals say, " though neither we nor our children,, can use this vast wilderness,' yefc rather than the pakehas shall sit on it, without our consent, we will fight to the death." The position is not a pleasant one, but it is one that can be overcome by firmness and a portion of the million loan. We would impress upon our members to urge the Assembly to force the Government to at least attempt a settlement of this question, and as a means to that end we would insist on the liberal use of that moral force which so powerfully modifies Maori opinion — we mean roads. We have put roads second in our list of wants ; though we are almost persuaded they should have been first. They certainly are first in subduing and colonising the native race. Roads impress forcibly on the natives, our power and growing influence, making them feel how hopeless is their resistance, either by active hostility or negative obstructiveness, to the occupation of the country. Liko the rising tide whose advance is seemingly contradicted by the recediug wave, yet after the lapse of time its progress cannot be doubted when the rocks, which apparently stayed its march, are buriad fathoms deep beneath its swelling waters; so will the persistent construction of roads overwhelm native opposition. Those brief duluys causerl by their blind obstinacy, but mark the periods of the recurring- wave of colonisation. They are bnt the tool-marks of the time — the intervals between the strokes of the workman's hammer wherewith he beats down all barriers raised b} r ignorance and distrust and engendered of barbarism. The character of our roads and their direction are matters of some importance. It is well known that the construction of a good metalled road fit to carry heavy traffic, approaches the cost of constructing a cheap line of railway, while the relative cost of haulage is considerably in favour of the iron rails. It is very evident that the settlement of this Province, by an agricultural population, is practically impossible without j main lines of roud, — either of metal or iron. Our subsoil is so soft, and the heavens so liberal in the distribution of its winter rains, that earthen roads are practically impossible for heavy traffic during the winter months. The coast line, already opened the greater part of its length, owing to the want of metal, only marks the place where the road should be, bnt is not ; provision therefore should be made for metalling, or rather gravelling, those portions which most require it, reserving for the heavy traffic the light narrow guage railway, so well calculated to open up the country. We should like also to see the country on the eastern side of the mountain tapped by a road from Waitara. That region will i yet ring with the settler's axe, when the ' tiarive difficulty is extinguished through the agency of a good road. And, lastly, there is the introduction of population required ; without which land and roads will bo worthless. It is very importaut that the right clas? of men be selected unpeopling the Province. They should be accustomed to rural life and labour, and be contented with little for a few years until they can establish themselves on their land. People of frugal habits, and, as finas possible, accustomed to a forest country would be lv*st calculated to succeed where timber predominates as it does in this

Province. We have not referred to harbour works, as that question has already been brought prominently forward. The member for the Grey and Bell has made the question his special object, so that there is a fair prospect, either through the agency of the loan, or by the slower process of colonial prison labour, of getting some better harbour accommodation for this place without wishing for an undue share of public expenditure. We think there are few places ia the Colony where the money could be so judiciously laid out in the way we have mentioned, -^rr-ao-caluulated to be reproductive.

Ropata's Expedition in Pursuit op Te Kooti. — A short time since a rather improbable report was circulated in Auckland, and forwarded by telegraph all over the Colony, to the effect that Ropata bad joined Te Kooti. Fortunately, the heroic daring and personal sacrifices of this faithful chief aro too well known for this extraordinary telegram to gain any truth. We need scarcely say that the report is utterly without foundation. JFrorn the Hawke's Bay papers we find that the expedition, under Ropata, was divided into four parties for the purpose of searching the bush thoroughly. The different divisions came together near Te Haupapa, about the 28th of June, having seatched all the country between Te Haupapa and Waikaremoana Lake. During the search they captured three men, one of- whom, named Rawiri, was believed to have had Te Kooti in hiding. He belonged to that part of the country. These people couldgive no account of Te Kooti. They believed that he had been captured by Ropata on his former expedition to Te Haupapa. When the division of the force of which Captain Porter was in command was on its way to Te Haupapa, on the occasion of its halting for* the night, that officer mounted a high hill in the neighbourhood, and saw smoke in the distance, which he concluded to have come from Te Kooti's camp. As soon as he joined Ropata the whole force made in the direction of the spot in which the smoke had been seen, and, after great trouble, found a camp in the bush, which had been occupied by a few persons. Considerable difficulty was experienced in finding any track from the camp, the parties having evidently separated on leaving it ; bat after a day or two's search, a track was struck some distance from the camp where tho people had come together again. The track was there tolerably plain. Ropata selected a party from his men, and taking the small quantity of food which was left for the expeditiou, started to endeavour to follow out the track, sending Captain Porter out to Poverty Bay with another party to bring in supplies, aud to meet him on his return. If he found that the tracks led to Te Wera, where Te Konti is known to have a cultivation which has not been destroyed, Ropata would not have been able to go on with the supplies which he had ; and would have awaited Captain Porter's return. Great sickness prevailed among the Ngatiporous, which made the difficulties of travelling through the country even greater than they would otherwise have been. TbeUriwerachief, Makarini of Tikitiki, writes that on 4th July, some of his people who dwell at a settlement on the Waikaremoana Lake, were attacked by Te Kooti, who took their kninga by surprise, helped himself to food from their supplies, and took ei^ht or ten prisoners. Te Kooti then retired into the bush. One of these prisoners succeeded in making his escape, and reached Makarini's pah on the u'th. Makarini immediately sent word to Wairoa for assistance. There is no certainty as to Te Kooti's followers, but it is believed they cannot number more than ten. Tho native who escaped from Te Kooti, reported that when Mr. Druinmond was surveying in the neighbourhood of Te Reinga, Te Kooti came into his camp, took some tea, and borrowed a pannikin, which he has not yet returned. There is nothing to give any real hope of catching Te Kooti, but everything possible is being done in order to attain this object.

The Whale Birds. — A considerable number of whale birds (Prinn turtwr), something resembling a small sea-gull, have been blown inland by the late gales.

Nativks and TrtE Telegraph. — The Maoris seem highly pleased at the performance of the telegraph, and use ifc very frequently to communicate with their friends in Wellington, Wanganui, and elsewhere.

A Cowardly Trick. — We have been informed that, during the practice of the Philharmonic Society on the evening of July 27, some dastardly person threw an oyster shell throngh one of the windows of the Hall, nearly hitting some of the members.

A TEttßfFic Hail Storm at the Waitara. — A fearfnl hail storm passed over tho Waitara on the 27th July, at about 10 a.m., when, we nre informed, hail stones fell which measured fnlly one and three-qnarter inches in length by one inch across the top. They were in the shape of a pear. The storm lasted a quarter of an hour, and the ground was quite white from the quantity of hail that fell.

Friendly Help from Neighbours. — As an instance of the good feeling that exists amongst the settlers living in isolated placid, we may mention a case where one of them, through the inclemency of the weather, being nnable to get across a stream the limber required to build a house, was assisted in doing so by the whole of the settlers as a body. They came voluntarily, mid in a short spaco of time placed the whole of the timber at tho spot it was required, ao that the work of putting up the house uonld immediately be proceeded with.

The Late Stobmy Weather. — 'Such a continuation of stormy weather as we have hfir] for ihe past two months, ha 1 ? not been exporionoed lor years. Tho weather abati'd somewhat, in vio'euce last F> iday evening, ami it was hoped would have cleared up si 11 together ; but on S<tinr<!ay ihe mercury fell, and qu Siindnv the storm commenced again with renewed vigour. Dm ing the whole of Sunday ni«*ht and ?londay morning, a series of thunderstorms with vivid lightning passed over the town, making tli" earth tremblp sixain from the reports of Heaven's artillery. — Taranaki Herald, July li).