The Waikato Times. TUESDAY, MAY 7, 1872.

Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 3, 7 May 1872, Page 2

The Waikato Times. TUESDAY, MAY 7, 1872.

In the immediate neighbourhood of the township of Ngaruawabia there are some 1,500 acres of land, composed for the most part of fine alluvial plains,- being , exactly of the character to induce a most desirable class of settler —the small farmer—to take up his residence and pursue his avocations in our midst. This land is unoccupied because the Government decline to sell. In reply to repeated applications, the answer has been received that " the land is reserved for Native purposes/', Wβ are far from desiring to dispute that.the Government are actiug wisely in reserving for the Natives sufficient land, provided they cultivate it, to maintain them comfortably, but, for the reasons we shall give below, are of opinion that they have not, in this case, acted justly towards the settlers in this neighbourhood. The Government realised about £10,000 by the sale of land in and contiguous to the town-

ship of Ngaruawahia, and very high prices j were paid, with the understanding that the | whole of the foreshadowed scheme of the Go- j vernment would be carried out. Those who invested calculated that within a short time there would be a considerable population settled on the suburban sections marked on the map, and valued the land they purchased , accordingly. On one occasion these sections I were put up for public competition, but, in ■, consequence of the almost prohibitory upset' price put upon them (£8 and £10 per acre), only two were sold. This land has now j been declared a Native Reserve, is in conse- ; quence unoccupied, and likely to remain so, as ; there i« very little chance of those for whom ; it is reserved either living upon or cultivating j it. We feel justified in arriving at this cob- | elusion, there being unoccupied land immediately adjoining owned by Natives. j The injustice to the settlers is- a small j matter compared with the impediment the action taken by the Government in this matter is calculated ta prove to the settlement of the country. The eyes of all are open to the fact that the principal element of success to- this colony is the attraction of population to. our soil, to share our burdens with us. and help us to open up anddevelope , the resources of the country. There is little difficulty in attracting population into our towns and their immediate neighbourhood. It is not, however, by our towns or thuir population, that this colony will be advanced to a position of affluence and prosperity, j The country must make the towns, and not J the towns the country. The cause of the many commercial failures t that have taken place during the last few years is owing to j the towns having increased in size- and population too rapidly for the country districts to. support. The Hon. the Defence Minister will shortly be with us, and we feel confident that the position of affairs, with regard to. the land withheld from use in this neighbourhood will immediately strike him as being contrary to all the political and social principles which gnice wise-men in the administration of the affairs of a country, and (here can be little doubt bat that he will take immediate steps to-throw the land o.pen for purchase and settlement.