Carterton Special Settlement Association.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1788, 29 January 1886, Page 2

Carterton Special Settlement Association.

On Wednesday night a meeting of those interested in the formation of Special Settlements took place in Mr F. H, W*od’s Auction Booms, Carterton. The meeting, which was convened by advertisement k ths Ptamoabd, was largely attended, and Mr G. Gardener was voted to the ohak. The Chairman read tbe advertisement in the Waieabapa Standard calling the meeting, and expressed the pleasure be Mt in finding the people of Carterton took so much interest in such an important matter, as mown by the good attendance that evening. The meeting being so well attended was no fonbt due, in a great measure, to the fact that the notice calling the same had appeared in a newspaper having a wide circulation in tbe Carterton district. He (the Chairman) then read the rules as suggested by tbs Govern* meat, which msy be obtained] at any Post Office throughout tbe Colony. He explained to the meeting that any block of land to be selected under these regulations shall contain not less than 1,000 acres nor more than 11,000 acres, inclusive of roads, townships, and other reserves; and it will |ba surveyed into areas not exceeding 150 acres or thereabouts, provided that the number of persons located in each block shall not be leas than ‘one person for every 100 acres of its total area. And any association may set apart such area, within tbe boundaries of any block it may select, as may be approved by the Minister, not in any case to exceed 640 acres lor a site for a township and reserves ; and the cost of survey and roading not exceeding 2s fid per acre, shall be paid by the secretary in fonr instalments, three mentbi to elapse between each payment; first payment to be made when the Association has agreed to take a special block, and subject to tbe approval of the Minister, any Association may employ an authorised surveyor, and pay tbe cost of survey andlroad-making ; 'and through roads giving access to adjacent country must be laid off. The allotment of sections to members of tbe proposed Association, and the position of public reserves, not open for allotment] were also explained. The price of the land under the said act, which may be such as be arranged between the Minister and the Association was stated as follows One tenth of the price of tbe whole block shall be paid by the Secretary to the Association prior to the allotment of the sections. Ibis will be in satisfaction of the two first half-yearly instalments to reckon from the next first day of January or July following. Thereafter the payments shall be made by each purchaser six months ia advance, at the rate of one-twentieth of tbe price of the land, until the whole price has been paid. One third of tbe price of the land will from time to time as paid to the Government, be repaid to tbe local body of the district, or the Association, for expenditure on roads in, or leading to tbe block. All monies required to be paid for the land nnder i these terms and conditions, shall be paid to the Receiver of Land Bevenne (who will in most oases be ths local postmaster), and his receipts will be sufficient. The purchaser shall be entitled to a Crown grant of the land selected by him, npon proof to the satisfaction of the Minister that he has been continuously in residential occupation of the land selected by h<m, either personally or by a registered substitute, for a period of six years, and has fulfilled all the conditions : Provided that in bush land residence need not commence within two years from the date of allotment. All usual and accustomed fees for tbs time being payable for the issue of the Crown grant shall be paid fcy the pnrohaser. Tbe purchasers shall be members of the Association, and shall not be nnder eighteen years of age. The secretary shall inform the Minister of the names of the purchasers, and also furnish the Minister with minutes of proceedings of the Association if so required. A certificate signed by the secretary of the Association shall be sufficient evidence that the person claiming to select land is a member thereof. Each purchaser shall, within two years from the data of his purchase, bring into cultivation not less than one-tenth of the land purchased by him. Each purchaser shall, within four years from tbe date of his purchase, bring into cultivation net lees than one-fifth of tbe land purchased by him. Each purchaser shall, within six years from the date of his purchase, in addition to the cultivation of one-fifth of ths land, have put substantial improvements of a permanent character on ths land to the valne of £1 for every acre of each land. The Association msy make such rules from time to time as it may deem neoenary. After these and rules of minor importance were duly placed before the meeting, the Chairman remarked that it was for the meeting to say whether it would conclude to form a Special Settlement Association under these proposals of the Government; he thought that the inducements held out to families to settle on the land under these terms were reasonable, and well worthy of the consideration of those interested.

Ma Eddie said he thought some of the rules proposed by the Government might be modified ; he considered role No 11, referring to bush land, rather stringent. Mr Young proposed the following resolution: " That a Special Settlement Association be formed in Carterton, aud that a com mittee be elected to cany out the preliminaries in connection with the same and report] at another public meeting tn b i held that night week (Wednesday Feb 4th). Mr Nicola seconded the resolution, which was put to the meeting by the Chairman and carried. The following gentlemen were duly elected as a committee ;—Messrs Eddie, Nicols, Yule, Gardener and Sunkell. Before the meeting dispersed it was arranged to invite Messrs Buchanan, M.H.8., and H. Bunny, Chairman of the Land Board, to attend the next meeting and kindly explain the details and the working of the Act. _ After a vote of thanks to the Chair, the meeting, which was an enthusiastic one, adjourned until next Wednesday, florae settlers about Carterton evidently are determined to test the question thoroughly, and if suited to their ideas, seriously intend to take an initiatory movement in the project.