11

H.—9a.

Government consented to the proposed arrangements mentioned in the conditions of settlement, but they were not gazetted until the working of them could be proved by practice. [Letter from Mr. Bonar, forwarding fifty copies to Minister for Immigration, 16th January, 1875; letter 9th April, 1877.] One of the original plans was, that the settlers should cut logs in the proper season and store them for sale to saw-mills. I should wish the Commissioners to examine the general condition of settlement, as to price of land, clause 7, clause 8, clause 9 specially, and clause 10, in which the Government propose to give employment only for two years, so that they may ascertain that the conditions there laid down have been carried out in their integrity. [Appendix to Journals of House of llepresentatives, No. 9, D.-6., 1878.] I think about 5,000 acres were taken up. The whole proceeds of the land has been applied for the purposes of the settlement. I believe the rents were debited to the persons in the ledger, and credited to the sections owned by them. The original payment on account of stores, being about £3,000, was the sum being worked upon. The moneys received for stores were paid in to a store account, and used again in payment for further stores, and so on. The Colonial Treasurer suggested this as the most convenient course, instead of its beiug paid into, and then again reissued from, the Public Account, which would have involved a separate appropriation. Statement of Hon. Captain Eraser in Legislative Council. " All that were at Jackson's Bay were sixty shanties or small cottages, a few sheep, and 200 acres of partially-cleared land. That was all the country had got for the £30,000 which had been expended on this wretched, miserable settlement." With reference to this, I would state that, from a personal inspection made of the whole settlement within a few days after Captain Fraser's visit to the settlement, I found a population of 402 people living in eighty-one clean, comfortable cottages of their own, with about 200 acres of land cleared, and a considerable portion of the same either in grass or under crop; a great many of the settlers possessed of at least one milch cow and pigs, with vegetable and flower gardens, and some with fruit trees. I also found three State schools established in different parts of the settlement. From the latest published returns I found that the population of the settlement had increased between 1877 and 1878 by thirty-five souls. That the stock on the settlement had increased — From 83 head of cattle in 1877 ... ... ... to 227 head in 187 S. 0 „ sheep „ ... ... ... to 30 „ „ „ 46 „ pigs „ ... ... ... to 99 „ „ „ 10 „ horses ~ ... ... ... to 16 „ „ That the net expenditure on the settlement up to the present date, 28th February, 1879, has been £27,522. That, on the other side, there have been 4,723 acres of land taken up within the settle- £ ment ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4,723 Town lands in Arawata Township realized ... ... ... ... 1,156 750 acres of land have been purchased by other than settlers in the neighbourhood ... 750 In consequence of the formation of the settlement, 205,000 acres were taken up in 1876 for pastoral runs, bringing in an annual revenue of £502, or equal, say, to ten years' purchase ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5,020 Eeceipts from gold revenue have been about ... ... ... ... 60 The colony has obtained a topographical survey of 60,000 acres, and detailed survey of 15,500 acres, valued by the Survey Department at ... ... ... 3,000 Public works, including roads, tracks, bridges, and drains, have been constructed, of the present value to the colony of at least ... ... ... ... 15,000 Making a total of ... ... ... ... ... £29,709 gained to the colony by the expenditure on the settlement. Add to this the value of improvements made by the settlers to land hitherto unproductive and valueless, estimated at £50 per acre for 200 acres ... ... 10,000 Provision made for foreign immigrants uuable to find employmeut in other parts of the colony ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2,000 £41,709 The facts and figures I have just given I believe to be a fair estimate of the true position occupied by the settlement as regards the expenditure and results, and appear to me the most conclusive reply that can be given to the inconsiderate statements that have been made in many directions regarding the settlement. It is only justice to the Hon. Captain Fraser to state that on my visit to the settlement I found that he had been unable to visit the best parts of the settlement on the Arawata, and the Italians at the Okura, some of whose places presented a more flourishing appearance when I saw them. The colony was to advance £20,000, and then £6,000 ; and a further sum was to have been allowed for Italian and German immigrants, to make up £28,000. The statement of Mr. Barff that potatoes condemned by the Inspector of Nuisances were purchased and sold at the settlement for £17 per ton, is utterly untrue. Some seed potatoes were sent down in the early part of the season, but they rotted in the ground owing to the bad weather, and a letter was forwarded from the Eesident Agent asking for a fresh supply. The letter did not come to hand so soon as it should have done, for the reason therein stated, and the season was so far advanced that good seed potatoes were then unobtainable. Instructions were given to Mr. Todd, who was an authorized agent here, to procure all the seed potatoes he could get from the district. He bought up all he could obtain in the market, so, that the settlers might still have an opportunity of getting some crop in. These potatoes were carted to his store, and emptied out and picked over, and I think only something like two tons were picked out of the quantity so procured and sent down. Mr,