CROWN LANDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 360, 23 October 1858, Page 5

CROWN LANDS.

Revenue and Expenditure for the Quabter

Ending September 30, 1858. REVENUE. Deposits on applications for rural land £3543 17 0 Auction sales, town land , 1950 11 0 Fees on depasturing licenses 29 5 3 Assessment on stock 22 11 8 Fees on timber licenses 12 10 0 Fees on transfer of rural certificates . . 7 0 0 Feea on examining records 0 2 6 Deposits on applications for runs 240 0 0 Fees on Crown Grants 10 0 Balance on 30th June 1858 .......... 3733 14 0 Total £9,540 11 6 EXPENDITURE. Department of Crown Lands „ 475 13 4 Department of Government Surveyor 660 16 9 Fees to Commissioner of Waste Land Board — Paid one commissioner 13 Q q B,efunds— Deposits on Run 5......... 80 0 0 Paid Provincial Treasurer 4019 14 § Paid General Government 1000 0 0 Balance, September 30th, 1858 3201 6 11 Total , £9,540 11 5 CHARLES LOGIE, Treasurer of the Waste Land Board.

A well-informed correspondent of the Auckland " New Zealander," writing upon the subject of inter-colonial and provincial steam communication, remarks upon the rivalry that at present exists in several of the provinces of New Zealand to establish an independent steam service to Australia. He says : —

" There is much danger that steam boat companies maybe formed, both for the inter-colonial and interprovincial traffic, which will inevitably end in smoke, probably ruining each other, and reducing New Zealand to the disjointed condition she was in (as regards steam communication), before the arrival of the White Swan. In the course of a conversation with the owner of that vessel such fears appeared to be very far from groundless; and for this reason that there are a class of inter-proviheial steamers springing up in the South which are calculated to interfere with and impair the success of any contracting company. As an instance of this, from Nelson to Otago, the White Swan got only the gleanings left by the Tasmanian Maid and Queen, which gleanings, it is said*, did not by one-half cover the cost of coals burnt on that part of the passage. Now, as Otago has offered a bonus of £1000 a-year to the owners of the Shandon, which is likely to be accepted, and as Canterbury is about doing much the same thing, it is clear that these individual provincial arrangements will, in the longrnn, operate as injuriously to the interests of New Zealand, as they must i prove subversive of the success of any inter-provincial contract steamer by whomsoever employed. These are points which ought not to be overlooked or disregarded.

" After the Zingari had taken her departure from the coasts of New Zealand, the want of steam communication between the Provinces was greatly felt and bitterly complained of. The General Government strove hard to repair the mischief. Advertisements were circulated in the Australian papers, inviting the services of a steam ship ; these advertisements were responded to by no one, "for it wrs generally reported, that the Zingari had lost much money. After a time, Mr. Kirkwood made an offer of the services of the White Swan, which ended in an engagement being entered into, nominally for two years, but which could be broken by either party at the end of six months. We have seen the correspondence, and all that Mr. Kirkwood said in favour of his ship has been fully realised ; indeed, it is a question if a more suitable vessel for the requirements of the inter-provincial trade could have been found. But, would Mr. Kirkwood have withdrawn her from the Adelaide trade, and brought her to New Zealand, at a large pecuniary outlay, if he had been aware that our Government was in treaty with a party at home, or if he had imagined that the Provincial Governments would have raised up (by their subsidies) steamers lika mushrooms to be cast

adrift at the end of six months by the one party or to "be ruined by the others ? Truly, he would not I

[There is matter for much consideration in the foregoing observations of our correspondent. Most of the facts to which he averts apply quite as strongly to Mr. Coloman's interests as to those of Mr.Kirkwood ; for if the Provinces are to start a steam race, and outvie and obstruct the General Government in establishing an inter-colonial and inter-pro-vincial steam service, it is quite clear that, between so many stools, New Zealand must come to the ground, and that the rival companies, like Kilkenny cats, will soon eat each other up. In no service is more consideration required, and we heartily hope that such arrangements will be come to as to insure its being conducted with the greatest 'prudence and efficiency, and in a manner that shall yield a fair return to the contractors. — Ed. New Zealanderl\