CULVERDEN ESTATE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIX, Issue 14681, 12 May 1908, Page 9

CULVERDEN ESTATE.

TO THE EDITOR. <sir, —Li your report of tho monthly meeting of the Canterbury Land Board, held on Thursday, May 7, the following paragraph appears:—“ Applications by late employees for permission to select allotments were further considered, and it was resolved to submit a recommendation for approval that the employees should be allowed to graze their stock upon the estate until the ballot. Now, I would like to know if the applications were granted, and, if 60, how many . Tho latter part of tho report shows to what extent the Land Act may bo abused, even by the Land Board, iney recommend for approval that they (the employees) be allowed to graze their stock upon the estate until the ballot. A clearing sale was held by tho late owners of Culverden in tho latter end of March, nearly two months ago. The lucky employees, who have had a steady billet for ovei five years, purchased sheep at this sale, .and graze them on the estate eyer silica. The survey of the estate was not completed at the time of the sale. How did they know the number of sheep to buy, or did they get a preference before it was sub-divided? This is preference with a vengeance. Not only do they get a choice of the best blocks of tlie estate, which they know so well, ebut they also buy sheep bred on it, and graze them on what is left for the less fortunate applicants. It lias been stated that the ballot will take place the latter end of this month,, or perhaps later. The successful applicants will get possession tlio worst time of the vear, winter time ; and by tho time they get fencing material on the ground and the boundary fences evected i another two or three months will have gone by. AH this time the preference tenant will