THE CANTERBURY RUNS.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7260, 16 March 1889, Page 6

THE CANTERBURY RUNS.

TO THB EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir, —A notification appears in the Otago Daily Times of the 12th inst. over the signature of the Commissioner of Crown Lands announcing the sale of 119 runs at Christchurch, on the 29th April next. Amongst other information, the advertisement goes on to say that " the Runs are all fenced or have natural boundaries," thus leading the general public to infer that in purchasing any of • those runs they acquired a more or less ; completely fenced property, and as there ' is no mention of valuation being payable ' to the present leasees for their fencing, the only presumption intending purchasers can arrive at is that the fencing is the property of the Croum. This, Sir, seems to mc a strange policy of confiscation to be enacted in a British colony, and almost places in the shade the state of affairs at one time existing in Ireland. This fencing was all erected at great cost and paid for by the present lessees. Without it the holdings wonld have been unworkable and almost useless, and it does seem strange that those men, as the outcome of their industry and enterprise, should be treated in a way so different from the Otago runholders, who receive valuation for their improvements up to an amount not exceeding three years' rental. 1 was of opinion until this advertisement came under my notice, that under Section 194, Clause 2 of the Land Act, 1355, the holder of a pastoral lease had the right to remove his fencing or other improvements within three months of bis receiving a written notice of the land being sold. ' j If the present holder of a pastoral lease ' has the right just quoted, it Is surely very . wrong of the Government by advertising the runs as they are now doing to place a . false issue before the public; and as the question ought to be cleared up one way or the other, yon Sir would be conferring a boon on myself and many others if you enquired into the matter and made the result public—Yours, &c., Merino. South Canterbury, March 13th, ISS9U