(To the Editor.) i Sir,—Now that the village settlement scheme, so long in abeyance, lias been again put in force, it behoves every man desirous of making a home for himself in a small way to begin with, to give it 3 terms his serious consideration. I feel assured than every sensible man who has adopted this colony as his home, and above all, the colonial - born, will unite in facilitating , tiie transfer of those desirous of settling on the land to sections in such places as may become available, and offer suitable situations for them to settle down in and make permanent homes for them selves, as othera have done previously. The Firev/ood Creek parties at Ngarua wahia, for example, are all pretty weil agreed, and many have freely expressed tho sentiment that the real progress of this colony is dependent on the use made of its surface. If we continue to growtea-tree and fern, clsar no bush and sow no grass, raise no crops and rear no animals, we are worse than the Maoris. We will become, if not so in part already, " hewer 3 of wood''for Australian syndicates, or toilers in mines for foreign capitalists ; our productire soil j and magnificent climate will avail us not, | and furure history will brand us as bad! colonists. The couufcry is fasb being stripped of ids natural products, kauri gum, llax and timber. This cannot go on for! ever; the country must be settled. The disclosures of the census should startle U3— town population decreasing and no com mensurate increase of rural population to balance it, the proportion of the sexes so altered as to pass all understanding. In going forward we are going; backward ; ex hausting the cumulated productions of nature to swell our exports without caring to take advantage of her fructifying powers. Let us wake up. Tho Government are showing a willingness to settle the country instead of bos.ving it as heretofore. Lat ua strengthen their hands. Let us assist them. 