A Wellington Special Settlement Association.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1781, 11 January 1886, Page 2

A Wellington Special Settlement Association.

We notice with much satisfaction that the Wellington people have taken steps to form a Special Settlement Association. A meeting was held at the Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday evening of persons interested in the project, Dr Newman in the chair. It was explained by the Chairman at the meeting that a block of land for a Special Settlement could be obtained from the Government. The block available was thirty miles beyond Masterton, near Eketahuna. The railway was now made eighteen miles toward it, and before two years were past it would be abreast of the block, so that there would be no difficulty in getting produce to market. The practical steps to take would be to appoint a secretary, aid send delegates to inspect the land. If it wts fonnd suitable, the price might be fixed at 20s or 30s per acre. He had been up that way, and believed the land to be very satisfactory. The advantages of a special settlement were that instead of paying high prices for lard by auction, thereby sinaing a man’s capital in the purchase of the land, he kept it intact for the purposes of improvement. Moreover, these lands were valued very low, and the payments extended over ten years. No other land in the Colony could be got so cheaply, and one third of the entire purchase money was returned to the land for roads and bridges. There were advantages in these special settlements, which were not to be had in an ordinary way by taking up land. In each block a township of 640 acres was cut up into town acres and suburban allotments, and each settler was entitled to an acre in the township and a suburban allotment. By this means they could have a school and other conveniences. A good deal of discussion followed, and the question was asked : “ What would the cost and outlay be to a person who took up 100 acres ? ” To this Mr McCardle replied that the approximate cost would be as follows, provided the price of the land was 20s per acre :—First year : Cost of survey, 2s per acre on 100 acres, L 10; first year’s instalments, LlO ; five acres of suburban land and one acre of township land, L 3 ; total, L 26. Ten per cent, of the land had to be brought under cultivation in two years. To do the work according to the regulations it would cost L2O the second year. If a man bad his own son on the property he could do a great deal more. All the improvements could be do»o in a lott years, ana a man could then stock his land, which would pay fur the remainder of the improvements. Ultimately the following resolution was adopted : " That a Special Settlement Association be formed, * *hat a Committee be formed to carry out anu ... ' ' -bioh the meeting had been

the objects lor .. - ’ '••nan willing to called.” The names of pe.— • •>-«n become members of the Association were .u.— taken down, aud thirty-eight persons were enrolled. The following Provisional Committee was appointedDr Sewman, M.H.R., A. J. McTavish, J. Horne, W, Timmins, J. C. Harris, C. Monaghan, 8. Dawson, G. V. Shannon, A. Lindsay, and W. Robertson. The Provisional Committee held a meeting af erwards, and decided {o wait upon the Under Secretary for Crown lands, an 4 ascertain what blocks were available for settlement ; also to collect informttion and submit it to a future meeting. We are glad to find that tins Association is being formed. But those persons who go npon bush lands in connection with one of these Special Settlements muit expect to work hard aud fare hard for a time. A good many townsfolk; would do no good tpon bush lands, because they possess neither the strength nor tLo pluck for the work. Bnl the system of “ substitutes ” to live upon tie land and work it, will be a great help, aud joung folks sent away to the bush might leirn to do well in time. Should the Association go on we shall watch its progress with nuoh interest.