THE LAND LAWS. No 3.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 149, 15 June 1881, Page 2

THE LAND LAWS. No 3.

to fHB editob: or the mawawatu TIMBS. ; -..,:■,• ,/,. Sir.— ln, my last letter I undertook to show how, m my bumble opinion, certain Wonka .of land m the county, onehf to; be. settlti. Obviously the first questions that arise are—" What kind of industry, or purpose is the block m question best suited for?" 2. " What class and number of population should at once, or m the immediate .future, occupy. this particular block ?" 3. "• What work is it desirable that the first body of settlers should find" done, or he-tog donei on the block, ; to give them a fair start m life, leaving the further- -de-- < velopment ofthatjifeiasn^uoh as pos* siblc to themselves T'" ' " L '" "" , ' Naw, as the land is the property of the i Colony, and not merely of the county, it se;ms clear that these nrelimmary questions .should be determined by 'an officer appointed by the Goverbof^i and I suppose that under the existing system, some questions of , the kind do ojccur-i i* a-more or less vidid way'td l'the ininds p£ the au-_ thorities. But some of us canremember how large blocks of land were sold m for- ' mer times,' on the report tff insufficiently checked commissioners, r;«» " Paitoral land," at five shill'ngs an acre j which

considerable tracts which might have been put to a better purpose. Most part . ticular care, therefore, is necessary m determining ttffese preliminary pointi. It is, also, I think, very necessary to provide against the neglect or apathy by which large blocki of land are left for year* ujholly unproductive. I should, therefore, like^tp'see it.'made imperative by law — | 1. I?hat before any Crown land m thif county is>subdivided by actual survey, or disposed ofjtd private -'ndividuals, the^Governor shall, witbin months after publication of the notice extinguish-ing-thelCative-title, to appoint a competent person or persons, for the purpose of determining the above .o^ueatiom. 2. That : the said person or persona shall report .to the Governor, with copy ' to the Mahawratu County Council, within . m on ths after his or their appointment. 3. That the Manawatu County Council SDallj^within _ months after receipt rof'-I-thei-said^^Jtipor^ signify to the Governor its approval thereto. 1 Tbait the Goveraor shall within [ ! ■'' r mdrith'a after receipt of sucb communication a Ijt-Qjar o%§ jS 0^ 110 '^ notify m the t Gazette, his 'acceptance of the original or amended report. (In case of vanyiligrioul difference' between original repori.and opinion of Council, minister .must take. the responsibility of deter.n'njpg. ". 'l' ,' ■. r "". , J 'V* " Jv S/ ThMf th|"Goverpor ;s|iall forthwith order 'in^acrtual-'suivey r of >J the block m ! wi:h the accepted report, and •BDail cause a P ;n to Ls made showing: Jhesj&esj^ the Hues and lengths* of roads (metalled or iron): £he lines, Jenjpths, and demensiona of 'drains ; tbV areas of bash to be felled ; and; all; or any, other worka^recommended fn tne'saioV accepted ; and sha^ also order,; that the said survey shall b^. 'completed, -,and ;the}said; Plan made, by the Survey and Elig'.neer* pepartpen: *, rand s deposited. for> public inspection, m the Land Office at Wellington, with true copy, to the office of the Manawatu County .f!ouTicii ri withjn— months, .after the date of %^i&frtauce^of th^ prelinaiaaay report. 6: Thfit Within months after the Planr'sball have been deposited s* above, th^ L Gy6yerik^r' shall/' iff some sufficient m J a%ner,"Kolify, tbj 'and assure the public, that Wworib 1 ' shown' '■ mikhe said Plan shall really be executed and completed within >: mdntH^aWr the dateof such ton ; and together with the said "njotifica'tio^ fiis "Bxce^ency shall cau.e an account -to be published showing : the originarcost of the Block to the Colony * ithe cb'sroflthe'pTtelimfeaTy report; tht rftpstjotfr^hfistujvey^and Plan and a pro; rtion of the estimated cost of a road (metalled er iron), to connect the Block -with some-ex4Bting-road-oF- seaport, and shall add, all these sums together, with interest^for^ half the period allowed for ;of tte works. ■7w Tbatthe^aid t-»tal sum shall be theupset.prjce of the, Block. ■$: Tttat the' Block shall then be hand cdj over to~the Manawatu County Council; under frtgolar contract with that •body*'* «o : ii!.-{ Ks-Tt 6 $ .;■, ft. That the^said contract shall contain ( the,/fqllp,w^g'pa^t|«ul4ra 'j.'.the Governor shall ifind'(if neie^«ry),*'th'e money m advance : fbf'the^ execiitionE' of the work? 1 , -aud^shail authorisei the; •> County Council fejfselli'eectionSvvpajsnehX terms, and up-^ setipilce pspacye^ta^al^he a fair pro.portion .ot, the, total, u%t piie^ of the Blobk'f arid the/Corihty' Council shall agree 1 t(^Tiave r thV f w®ks' executed by ' 'piiblic'contraet,' within the time 'specified! iri'the GoyeanqrjV prey^oua notice, and v s^Ujperijdically, as works, advance, offer .for sale sections at advertiied times, and at the' iipset^prWe naraed;Tand shall give to. each' 'individual jpnx^ser a valid! guarantee— l^TJhat >the whole work shovra on the general Plan shall be really completed within i the speeified'time ; and second^ tbat"'if > '"tHe''-prbeeed«'<ot*the sale of the .whole^Bl.bckfhaU,e^eed|the upset priae thereof, such excess shall; be 4 equally divit dei ,betwe,en 7 the,.^»bawatu CountyCoiincifand tne "Governor, or.otherwiseprovided by law, that all the monies ad* vanced on^aecjp^ntof tbwJ^ocs: shall te a first charge upon the proceeds of the. :safes.H it 1M -SJ.-'f'i I feel confident that taVcarry out the settlement xof if oar-: Waste Lands on the above, o? ,sorn.^ similar pjan, it will hot be^ecessary toi borrow -money from out--Bide v ]T,emporarj^advances will, no doubt^ be.iiecessary, j but, as as it would bs required for -work^^and to repay the original cost, of the Block, the publif, already fiere^of tb v aTrive, would buy thelanded advance, ifithere was an assurancethat the. works would be completed. The amount Of public expenditure would be so great as to ke, m itself,^ an important element m the prospei-ity of the country } and "the 'work I ' would be done on theprinciple, now, J see advocated by'Mr^acapdrew/via', inak|ag colonisation 'pay id *pwn way, which it is well able to^rdo, if w^tely-conducted. I am &0. % Fabmkb.