EARLY WAIRARAPA HISTORY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 4 July 1925, Page 5

EARLY WAIRARAPA HISTORY.

(To The Editor.)

Sir, —The interest aroused in this subject will doubtless bear good fruit. Quite a number ot' offers have come to hand during the past two days from early settlers having early and interesting information, to place their records open for perusal, with the object of publication. But the preparation for publication in a suitable form needs time and ability, two essentials in which the writer is sadly lacking.

I thank my friend, Mr R. J. Barton, for his kindly reference. He, I know, has much valuable first-hand early data that should pass into history. There is just one point in Air Barleu’s letter to which I would, like to refer —the land purchase question. One cannot peruse the early dealings or that thieving combination —the X.Z. Company—-without a blush of shame that it was British. This , statement will, I know, raise a storm of protest in the minds of many readers, for the directors included such well-known gentlemen as *J. E. Bouleott, Stew-art Ala ioribanks, Sir Win, Molcsworth, and Arthur Willis. But, just remember this, that in less than three months ot landing, their agent. Colonel Wakefield, “purchased” territory as large as Ireland for goods said to be worth about £9OOO. Just what these goods were worth to the natives can be gauged from the following list, which figured prominently in the £9OOO value:— 6 cases of soap. 60 red nightcaps. 10 gross tobacco pipes. 72 writing slates. 600 slate pencils. 201 looking glasses 144 Jew’s harps. 36 razprs 12 shaving brushes. 12 sticks of sealing wax.

N'o wonder the native mind subsequently failed to grasp a. proper appreciation of the word “Christianity. The deeds drawn out to “legalise’ this land-sharking were in many cases by quite a number of influential chiefs, who utterly failed to understand what they were doing. By 1840 over forty-five million acres (about half the whole country) was claimed by one and another as having been “purchased from the natives, and at what a price. From a value ranging from one farthing to Ss per acre—more generally the former. Xo wonder-> Hobson’s Proclamation: on ,the Kororareka Beach! Xo wonder the Legislative Council in Xew South Wales empowered the Governor to send Commissioners to examine into, the purchases! No wonder the Pari. Papers, 1840, Sir George Cupps, as Secretary of State, characterised the proceedings., its “legal farces.” • , . The histofy of this land-slinrking •business, that ultimately resulted. in New Zealand being proclaimed; a Crown Colony, is interesting—if discreditable reading. Ido not know what the early Wairarapa settlers gave for their land, but whatever they paid it would be of much interest to conipare the purchase price with, the value to-day.* Air John Ward, a Nelson i colonist, writing to friends under date of April, 1847 (Air Ward had then been three years in New Zealand) estimates the expenses necessary to commence a -50acre farm in the colony as follows: —

Mr Ward reckoned that at; the end of the first year the assets would show a surplus of £2O; at the end of the second year £126, and then on, in everincreasing proportion. It’s a great subject,- this old .New Zealand history. Much as has already been written —by 1850 the bibliography ran into no less than 1600 items, comprising ninety volumes, two. hundred leaflets, and hundredweights of Parliamentary papers —yet much still,remains to be recorded. ' ! The history. Wainjyapa now seeks -is not that to be found in books or pamphlets, but that to be found in the marly diaries and the minds and memories of the few remaining early settlers. I am, etc., ’ A. CLEMAS...

Fifty acres at os per acre £12 10 0 Wooden 'house for 6 people ... 15 4 bullocks, plough, harrows, •70 -0 cart, general gear and tools 10 0 1 cow, pigs, fowls, ducks, etc. 15 0 Housekeeping expenses for 12 months, including furnishing 70 0 Sundries, say 7 10 £200 . 0