CENTRAL OTAGO

Evening Star, Issue 12626, 4 October 1905, Page 1

CENTRAL OTAGO

ITS SETTLEMENT. THROWING THE LANDS OPEN. [From Oub Parliamentary Ripobtb*.] WELLINGTON, October 4. The Premier made an important announcement to the House yesterday afternoon in regard to the Government's policy to be pursued in the furtherance of settling the lands in Central Otago, now being opened up by the railway. The occasion arose through the presentation by the Chairman of the Lands Committee of a report on the petitions of T. Gilchrist and 389 others and Peter M'Donald and 129 others, of Bough Ridge and Poolburn, praying th-.it Blackstone Hill, Home Hills, Idaburn, and Louder runs be resumed and cut up for closer settlement. The Committee reported that owing to the probable cost of resumption it would be unwise to interfere with the runs referred to until the existing leases expire, when the properties can, if considered advisable, be dealt with as a whole. 4 The Chairman of the Lands Committee (Mr Ho?"-) moved that the report be referred to the Government for consideration. Mr Herdman led off in what proved to be a long debate. At present, said the member for Mount Ida, people think that the Government by giving notice to runholders can at once resume leases for closer settlement. During the past two or three vears the Government have seen fit to cut up certain pasfcora* teases ttiat bad fallen in. Their experiment with the cutting up of the Patearoa run had been crowned with success. Mr T. Mackenzie: Hear, hear. Mr Herdman said that the hon. member who said "hear, hear" had been one of those who had furthered the cutting up of that particular run. Ho (Mr Herdman) hoped that the result that bad followed that policy would induce'the Government to continue it, but in the case of the majority of the runs in Central Otago they were not liable to be resumed at any time—only when the leases fell in. In the oases mentioned in the petition five years must elapse before the leases could be dealt with. Mr Herdman then read correspondence that had passed in connection with certain runs in Central Otago—vis., Blackstone Hill, Home Hills, Lander, and Ida Valley runs. The first was n letter from Mr W. C. Kensington, Under-Secretary of Lands, to the Lands Committee of the Hou*e, who had submitted he petition of T. Gilchrist and 389 others to him. The Under-Secretary stated that Home Hills and Lauder runs, containing 117,682 acres, are leased to Rots and Glendining for fourteen years, from March 1, 1896, to Febr-ury 28, 1910, at an aimual »ntal of £SOO, and are not resumable until the lease runs out in 1910. The Ida Valley runs, containing 72,296 acres, are leased to L ho representatives of the late Sir F. D. BpII for fourteen years, at an annual rental of £750, and cannot he resumed till the exiirv of the leases in February, 1910. The Blackstone Hill runs, containing 16,278 icres, are leased to Roes and Glendining, at m annual rental of £465 7s 6d. This lease 'so expires on the 28th February, 1910, hut it is resumable before then. However, the Commissioner of Crown Lands and the j fjand Board were unanimous against de- | priving Rons and Glendining of these runs, i 19 it would be impossible for them to work and occupy the 117,683 acres of high country held by them in the Home Hills and Lauder runs, Oie leases of which, as mentioned, terminate at the same date as that of the Blackstone Hill runs. The next letter was from the Commissioner of Crown Lands of Otago, in which Mr Barron stated that he had inquired from the lessees concerning the cost of resumption which he estimated from their replies would amount to £30,000. He iirain recommended that tbi< runs held by Ross and Glendining and the Ida Valley runs should not be shorn of any more winter countrv. and] raid that he did rot 'hink the cutting up of the runs practicable at present. Lastly, Mr Herdman read let'ers from the le'-see* of the runs to the Commissioner of Lands in Otago, in which I set? forth the compensation they would ; ■vant in the event of the cancellation of heir leases on March 31 next. Messrs and Glendining said they had mainained the runs in past years at a serious ofs, but during the last seven years, owing o the advance in stock and wool values, they had recovered part of the old loss, and '-ad a fair prospect of making good the wkole by 1910. They stated that for the our yeirs from 28th February, 1901, to "Bth February, 1905, the net profit, be--'di>s interest on capital at 5 per cent., was E17,088. This included the disastrous vint'er of 1903. and they assume at lea>t ; inal result" would be obtained on to 1910. They state that they would prefer continuing Mieii leases until expiry in 1910, but that if the Government found it absolutely nece*arr to take steps on March 31 next to resume the whole country they would be rirrpired to surrender their leases for compensation ; the three hometeads of Lauder, Blackstone, and Hiuh"ie!d to be given up at the Government vsxssnd values of £1.812. £2,962, and £3,385 respectively if the Government de- j <s'red to take these also. The other lessee, Mr A. D. Bell, replied that such poor land . -i« the Ida Valley was could not, if sub- | livided into small holdings, stand any arti- ; Icial loading of rent, such as would be neces-arv if compensation were paid to the nreeent lessee. Mr Bell pointed out that "■6.000 acres of the best and lowest country had already been picked out of the run, and be submitted that to cut the remainder up into small areas was a matter of a different kind, ir.d was not likely to have a successful result. ' ! Considerable discussion fo lowed on the • reading of this correspondence. Mr W. Fraser was the first of the sue- ' needing speakers to touch on the Central | Otago land question. He said that circum- ] -stances had altered of late years, as a great j ■leal of the interior had been settled upon, i Part of these runs had a rma.ll area of low'vine or winten country, and a large area , of high summer country. By taking away* winter countrv the summer country was j rendered valueless. Mr Taylor said the Government had made the mistake of alienating the low-lving from , the high country, and the back country j would not be worked, the resu't being thst the Lands Department had areas of | mountainous country on their hands that no one would tike up at any price. Mr Harding said that a more extended ; tenure should attach to such lea« - es. The Minister of. Lands (Hon. T. T. DuncanT said that the rime being in'the snow regions had limited areas an the lower level*, tut not more-than, in h-'s opinion. ■jrsjr sufneiont to w<rrk them pr"fl*-*My. Tli - ,eidy nlan by, which thejr *ou!d be worked wbulof be to make the area of all Jess. In taking an area of low. country a man shouM have to take a proportion of high country also; if not. the high country would j be left to tho rabbits, and, besides costing a )g£ off mopev. be no use to aiybody, t 'Within the last three years }*& been, settlement in Cental Ota&x la^

regard to one run, he had sees the lessee, who, when approached in regard to surrender of land for closer settlement, had agreed to give a block of his lease on condition that the Government let him alone until his les/e was np. That was agreed, but now others wanted patches of his leases for settlement,' which was very irritating to ' the lessee. The Minister went on to renew what the Government had dose' for close settlement in Central Otago, and instanced the cutting up of Murray, Roberts's run, and said that jnst to pleare two or three the Government could not destroy the whole of the grazing country- in Centra] Otago. The department would, however, look into sad revira the conditions of leases. Mr T. Mackenzie complimented the Government on the success of the resumption and settlement of Patearoa run m spite of the failure predicted for the experiment by some. He thanked the Premier and the Minister of Lands for the stand they had taken over Patearoa, as there had ben imminent danger, he believed, of the land in that case going back to the occupier. He was strongly in favor of closer settJeluent wherever it was possible, and as leases ffll in he would like to see more country brought under the Land for Settlements Act. The Premier said the Government had spent money on t!be construction of the Otajro Central Railway, and population would follow in the wake of the construction of the line. Wherever the opportunity offered they must not hesitate to embrace it, and* throw these and any other lands that came into their hands open for settlement—either dose settlement or grazing run. The Leader of the Opposition,: According to suitability. The Premier: According to suitability. Having gone through the district, he continued, he knew that some of these lands could be thrown open to-day, and in Lis opinion they should! b: thrown oper_ Mr T. Mackenzie: Hear, hear. Referring to the Blackstone Hill loses of Messrs Boss and Glendining, which do not prevent the country "being resumed straight away, and which some members had suggested should not be terminated because the lessees would thereby be left without winter ground, adjuncts to the Lander and Home Hill runs, which leases do not expire till 1910, I lie Premier said it was all very well to be considerate to the lessees, but these latter had taken the runs for a given period, and there was nothing binding on the Government that these other land* —the Blackstone rune—should not be taken by the Crown simply becaues the lemecs held other leases. He affirmed that there was no obligation on the Government. It. was no use putting a condition in the lease if afterwards the Government were to siy to the party that he was to have all the advartage and the Government were Dot to take over the run, as they bad power to do, and throw it open. He disagreed entirely witlh the position taken up by the Otago Land Board and the Commissioner of Crown Lands, and would not allow them to tie the Government's hands simply because the conditions of the leases differed, iome runs being resumable and tie others i-ot. The lessees in effect said: H you take this, we want compensation for the others. " I say," continued Mi Seddon, " that they are not entitled to compensation. We have a right to resume, and, in my opinion, it should be exercised," If the worst came to the worst, he added, the lessees, who wens only paying a paitay £SOO per annum, could be released by the Government; but no runs and no runholder* ought to prevent the Government from settling the interior of the colony. Conditions in Central Otago had changed now that the railway was finished. Ho repeated that the Government must proceed ! w& closer settlement and the cutting up of runs wherever poss^ l *. The Govern- ' ment had not been narsh to runholders there, as was evidenced by the assistance iriven after the well-kiown snowstorm of 1903. In spite of that, the Government got no thanks. Mr T. Mackenzie: I thought you were referring to Patearoa. The Government got thanks for that. The Premier: Yes, there are exceptions. He contir-ued that Sir John M'Kenzie's mind had been made np to resume these lands for the Crown as soon as opportunity offered. Now, here was a petition a-4ing for their resumption, and the Governm.sit were told by the 6qnatters than tb<-y would want compensatioJi. The Government were asked for £4O,W< in oompensation where they had a right to resume without paying forty 1 pence. Land resumption was necessary in ; the best interests of Central Otago. Large sums would have to be spent in irri-gatiKi; and looking into the future, he said be could see a large population settled along the railway. In concluding this part of ais speech, the Premier said it was no use Ministers going through the colony and aeeine its possibilities unless they had the courage to carry into effect what they had learned. There was considerable further discussion on more general lines, and after Mr Hokk (chairman of the Lands Committee) had replied the motion referring the report to the comideration of the Government j was carried on the voices