THE GREAT LANDED ESTATES OF NEW ZEALAND.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5523, 28 October 1879, Page 3

THE GREAT LANDED ESTATES OF NEW ZEALAND.

For the folloAving compilation of the ] rinci.Jal estates in the colony we are inc'e'Dted to a Wellington contemporary : —

The following figures, gathered from the census returns, Avill show the accumulation of large estates in the hands of a few Avealthy men, and whose influence in tlie House has been opposed by Liberal measures : — 'Cheviot County, about equal in size to Middlesex, is entirely comprised in three enormous freeholds, one of Avhich — the property of the Hon. W. • Robinson, M.L.C. — consists of a round | 100,000 acres ; two other holders oAvning 1 the remaining T'OjOOO acres. There is not an acre of leasehold in the whole county. In Waikato County there is one freehold ' of 80,000 acres ; in Piako County one of 38,039' acre's, together AVith a leasehold of 17,052 acres. In Hobson County one leasehold is $3,000' ocres ; in Raglan County one of 90,000 acres, Avith a freehold of 1900 acres. (This ia also partly, if v iiot wholly, OAvneel by the Hon. W. Robinson.) In Marlborough County there is; otfe freehold of 89,000 acres, the' joint property of Sir Charles Clifford (formerly Speaker of the House' of Representatives) and F. A . Weld (formerly Premier of NeAV Zealand anet no>v Governor of Tasmania). In the same County there are ten other holdings together comprising 220,000 acres of freehold and 04,000 of leasehold. In iCaikoura there is one leasehold of 80,000 acres, Avith 3700 freehold ; also two free- < holds of 28,4000 s and 13,000 acres respectively. In Amtiri, eight freeholds compromise 248,000 acres. In Ashley, one freehold consists of 70,000 acres (Sir Charles Clifford and Mr Weld again); another 21,000 acres; and two more divide 25,200 acres between them. In Selwyn there is one freehold of 22,000 and another of 13,000 acres. In Ashburton, four holdings together comprise 44,500 acres free and 65,000 lease. In Geraldine, : four freeholds together contain 60,000 acres. In Waimate nine holdings contain 246,000 free and 27,000 lease as well as'tAvo freeholds together containing 36,000 acres. In Waitaki, one freeholder has 36,000 acres, and seven more have 118,000 among them. In Waikouaiti, one freeholder has 24,000 and another has 12,000 acres, Avith 4800 acres leasehold. In Clutha, four holdings contain 125,000 acres of free and 3900 lease, and two other holdings comprise 25,000 acres. In Tuapeka, one freehold of 70,000, one of 20,640, and two holdings comprise 25,000 acres. In Southland County there is one freehold of 70,000 acres, besides seAen holdings containing 260,000 free and 10,000 lease, and eight containing 101,000 free and 11,000 lease. In Wallace, three holdings include 57,000 acres free, with 40,000 lease, and four contain 53,500 of freehold.