Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13,1894. A NEW PROVINCE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8399, 13 February 1894, Page 2

Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1894. A NEW PROVINCE.

Thk late tour of the Minister of Lands through the district between Hunterville and Pipiriki, of which we gave a detailed account in a late issue, has clearly demonstrated the great value of the immense area of unoccupied land traversed by the Ministerial party. Much of this land is still in the hands of the natives, who are making no use of it. That it is desirable the Crown should purchase a large quantity of this land needs no argument. Under the " Native Land Purchase and Acquisition Act" of last session this can be done, if the < natives are willing to sell. The machinery of the Act provides a Native Land Purchase Board consisting of the Surveyor-General, the Commissioner of Taxes, the Commissioner of Crown Lands, the native member for the district, and a native to be appointed by the Chief Judge of the Native Land Court. The Act is to operate only within such area of native territory as the Gtovernor-in-Councii shall from time to time declare by proclamation duly gazetted. The Act provides for the valuation of any blocks of land the Crown may desire to acquire under the Act, the native owners of which are agreeable to its sale or lease. There is nothing to compel them to do so, the Act leaving the matter optional with the native owners whether they will do either. The owners of more than

one-half of any block having power to binclthewholeof tbeownere toany Bale or'lease.'But in all eases sufficient land shall be reserved to the natives for their use and occupation. Hhe Act, to our mind, does not go far enough, as the Crown should have power to take the surplus lands of the natives under it, and make them available for profitable occupation. Without this power is given, the Government will not be in a position for many years to get possession of large areas of land inland, as the natives are very averse in many cass to part with their land, although they make no use of it. The Premier will shortly visit this district and explain the Acttotbe natives, and persuade them, if he can, of the advantage of selling or leasing their surplus land to the Crown. "We trust that he will succeed in doing so, as it is of the most vital importance to Wanganui that this land Bhould be speedily brought into profitable occupation. There would spring up a large trade with the settlers were the land occupied, and trade would flourish in proportion to the extent of settlement ; roads would be speedily made, and the products of this new province brought here for transhipment or sale ; every branch of industry would receive a fillip, and things generally assume a busy and prosperous aspect. The Government are most anxious to help on this desirable state or" things, and the visit of the Minister of Lands will bear good fruit in the near future, as Mr McK&QKie was highly impressed with country through which he travelled, and firmly ot opinion that it would, when thrown open to settlers, be capable of maintaining some thousands.of families. He was also much impressed with the value of the Wanganui Itiver as a natural highway into this new country, and strongly of opinion that it should be made navigable with as little delay as possible for at least fifty miles beyond Pipiriki. The cost of this would be less than what has in the past been spent by the Continuous Ministry on a couple of miles of a " political" railway " to improve some large freehold or on other unproductive and unneeded work. A judicious expenditure of about £10,000 on the Wanganui river would be well spent money, and return a profit, as it would open up a lot of valuable land that cannot be reached by road until the navigation of the river is improved sufficiently to allow of shallow draught steamers reaching a point 50 miles higber up it than Pipiriki. We have no doubt that the Government will place a sum on the estimates next session for this purpose, and hope hon. members will vote for it, as the work is a national one.