The Cheviot Estate.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5270, 29 May 1895, Page 1

The Cheviot Estate.

THE PROGRESS OP SETTLEMENT.

[FBOMOUB SPECIAL CORREBPONDBNT.I

In my previous article I gave some particulars of the improvements made by the settlers on the Cheviot Estate, and showed what their prospects are likely to be as far as the prodncing qualities of the land are concerned. v In the present one I propose to show some of the disadvantages under which the pioneers of the settlement labour. Thiß being the first attempt at land settlement on the present scale, it can be easily understood that mistakes were inevitable, and no doubt the experience gained in the settlement of Cheviot will be a useful object-leeeon in dealing with any properties that may be acquired by the Government in the future.

At the time of the acquirement of Cheviot, the Government were face to face with the unemployed difficulty, and it was considered that the cutting up and roading of the estate would afford an opportunity of So ding work for a large number of those requiring it. Accordingly, a great deal of the work at Cheviot was done on the cooperative plan. The money voted for this purpose having been exhausted, tbe men have been withdrawn, with the result that many important pieces of road have been left unfinished, and thiß appears to be the chief grievanco of the settlers. Many of the smaller holders took up sections with the idea of getting work on the roads, but now find that there are no works going on. As their, holdings — from 10 to 20 acreß— will not in their present state yield sufficient for them to live on, theyare placed in a rather awkward position.. How- j ever, they .are not to be found hanging about the township, as previous to my visit I was led to believe j would be the case, but are engaged in digging, ploughing and subdividing their sections. . They atate that if they could obtain a couple of days' work per week j they would .do very well. What they j complain of is that the money which was j spent in improving the estate waß distributed amongst meu who had no interest in the estate and no intention of taking up land, while the bona fide settler who haß to pay- an increased rent on account of. the improvements, has not been allowed to participate in the distribution of the money, a large amount of which, they contend, haa been wasted owing to want of proper management.. Any unprejudiced; person looking over the property cannot, shut his eyes to the fact that the work would have been much better and more cheaply done had it been under the supervision of a body such ac- the Cheviot County Council, to whose interest it would have been to conserve the tupney and spend it in a manner that would have benefited the greatest number 6f settlers. As it sb, a very large sum of money has been spent on roads which were hot of immediate importance, while some of the mtin roads are left in a state that will { render them almost impassable during ! the coming winter. To find work for the I unemployed road-making has been done! with the pick and shovel, although it could have been done for half the money With , ploughs and scoops, and settlers possessing teams have had to stand inactive. Some, £15,000 was. spent in mating ! airoa^ fiuiid the Big Bluff from Port Robinson to" the ' M'Kenzie township. From the township the main road rubs past the dairy factory through a number of small holdings to the agricultural land m the Waiau Block. For the first mile from the town this road has been formed, but .hasV not yet r been metalled,, and t^e'' thoroughfare is therefore a 'perjFect quag-' mire. Further 6__; the road is metalled for. two or three, miles, with here and there a few Bad places, but the last mile, before it meets the road which runs through the holdings on the Waiau fiat, is now almost impassable. It has been 'formed, but not shingled, and for some chains ,b for its whole width under water. The Bettlera in this district ask, and with reason, what was the use of making an expensive road from the port to the township if a part of the work iB to be left unfinished. Orders have now been given to gravel the portion of the main road going from the township, but the work haß been left too late, and the shingle will be simply buried in the mud. No proper drainage seems to have been provided oh any of the level roads, and a large number of places have been left without culverts. The road running through the 100-acre farms in the Waiau block iB also in a very bad state for the greater part of its length, and although a shingled road has been made from the lower end of the flat to the township, which would accommodate the settlers at that end, a couple of boggy creeks have been left unbridged and thus the road is unless.

As Bhowing how money was needlessly spent in finding work, the method of making the Waiau Flat Boad may be cited. The road, it may be said, runs for some, miles through a wet flat, and has a Blight incline towards the mouth of the Waiau. Preparatory to forming the road, the official in charge set a gang of elderly men to work at chipping off all the tussocks, and it is said that their average earnings at the job were 10s per day. The next proceeding was to raise the road by covering the line from which the tussocks had bees cleared with abont two feet of clay. Large drains were out for some distance on either side of the road and the material taken from them was used for raising the thoroughfare. What the object was of making two drainß is not apparent. When I saw them, the one on the upper side, which has to carry off the water coming from the hills, was full, while the one on the other tide did not appear to serve any purpoue at all. Had the one on the upper Bide been continued for a few chains further to the corner of the main road, and then np that for six or seven chsinu, ie would have completely drained the piece of road which now prevents the taking of produce to the township or port. As another instance of how work was made, I was shown a cutting which had been constructed in the upper part of the Leamington, and which was said to have cost about £1000. What this piece of work was ever undertaken for ie is hard to understand, as by a slight deviation of tha road an easy gradient could have been obtained at the cost of a very few pounds. In addition to those given, I could mention several other unnecessary works that bave been done, while connecting links are still wanting in the more closely settled districts.

The position now is this: The County Council is asked to take over the district in its present unfinished state, and has been told that there is no more money available for improvements. From what I can gather it is the intention of the Council to ask for a sufficient sum to complete necessary works, and then it will be quite prepared to take all further responsibility. This, however, does not apply to the Bluff cutting, which is considered to be in a rather bad condition, and from the nature of tbe ground it is quite possible that it will coßt a good deal to keep it in repair. Were a sum of money given to the Council it would be able to find employment for a number of the smaller holders, and thus good would be done in that direction.