Wellington Independent MONDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1871.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVII, Issue 3380, 25 December 1871, Page 2

Wellington Independent MONDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1871.

The utter failure which has attended the establishment by the Provincial Government of Otago of the special settlement at Martin's Bny, goes a long way to disprove the oft reiterated assertion that the Provincial Governments can manage the work of immigration better than the General Government. A greater fiasco in the work of colonisation was never perpetrated. From first to last the Martin's Bay settlement scheme has been thoroughly mismanaged. Some two years or so ago the Otago Govern rnent obtained the authority of law unsettling the West Coast of that province by means of disposing of land on very liberal terms. At that time the Pro vincial Government held out great inducements to such settlers as do not mind a few years of hard work, if they can get land fit for occupation on favorable terms. . The place chosen for the experiment was not by any means so unfavorable as many other parts of the colony that have been successfully settled by spontaneous means. The site at Martin's Bay contained plenty of good land, o^y requiring a

little perseverance to convert it into cultivation. The climate is not worse than that of other parts of the coast where settlements have already been established. Game and fish abound in the river and lake near to which the settlers were located ; gold was known to exist in the vicinity, and all that was required to give the little community a fair start was proper fostering care on the part of the Provincial Government. One of the chief inducements held out was that a road would be constructed from the Wakatipu Lake to Martin's Bay, so as to secure means of com munic.ation with the outer world to those who responded to the invitation of the Provincial Government to take up land in the new settlement. Although the river and harbor could in favorable weather be entered by small steamers and sailing craft, the interruptions of communication on the sea-board were expected be frequent, and but for the promised road few people would have had the courage to locate themselves in that out of the world spot. Not only was the road inland to be constructed, but the periodical visits of a subsidised steamer were promised by the Otago Government. In good faith a number of people — chiefly from some other parts of the colony — took up land and commenced the " heroic work of colonisation." In tho face of many hardships and privations tho courageous little band set to work, clearing the bush, erecting dwellings, making small cultivations and prospecting for gold. Luckily for them, an enterprising storekeeper took down a considerable stock of provisions, and for the first few months things looked encouraging. Many who had gone down to examine the place sent for their families, the road work was commenced, andeveryone was in good spirits. But bye-and-bye the stock of provisions began to run out, and the settlers became naturally anxious regarding theirchnnces of further supply. Now and again a small steamer, which is chartered by the Westlanrl County Council, called and supplied a few necessaries, but often the people were reduced to the verge of starvation. The men could not venture to prospect the neighborhood for gold under the uncertainty that existed that they might not return to find their mates and families pining for food. Days that might have been employed in profitable labor were wasted in anxious looks-out for any passing vessel that might see their signals of distress. Representations were repeatedly made to the provincial authorities, and plenty of fine promises received in return, but matters got worse and worse. The road construction stopped, no regular or reliable communication by sea was established, and the little community began to dwindle down. Many who had worked hard for months to make a home for themselves and their families, lost heart and left. Those who remained were periodically in the position of not knowing whether the next day would not find them without a ' morsel of food, and now the settlement is completely broken up. We published a few ciaj's ago a statement taken from a Hokitika paper, ' which detailed the frightful straits the Martin's Bay settlers have been in through the shameful neglect of the Otago Government. For days the miserable people had been dependent upon eels and mussels for food, and this account has been verified to us by a gentleman who has resided at Martin's Bay since the foundation of the settlement, and who was the only storekeeper in the district. He tells us emphatically that unless the Otago Government establish communication by land, or secure a reliable steam service by sea the settlemust be abandoned. This is a strong proof of the vaunted superiority of pro vincial management ! And yet the failure we have recorded is not owing to any special natural disadvantages, for read the following, which we reprint from the " West Coast Times":—"Notwithstanding all this, they speak very highly of the place. The climate is salubrious, the soil good, the river and the beautiful lake with the scenery round are grand beyond description. All that appears to be wanting to make it a thriving place is a little encouragement on the part of the Otago Government, and the opening of a bridle track from Lake M'Kerrow to the Wakatip. Gold has been found in considerable quantities at Little Martin's and several other localities south of Martin's Bay, which could no doubt be mado payable if provisions could easily be obtained." And it should be borne in mind that the Martin's Bay settlers were not persons who bad voluntarily chosen to locate themselves in a remote region with a full knowledge of the risks they ran. They were induced to undertake the work of founding a new focus of civilisation in the wilds of the West Coast by promises from the Provincial Government of Otago, which, if they had been kept, would have encouraged them to remain, in spite of the many unavoidable difficulties with which pioneers always have to contend.