ESTABLISHED 1866. The Marlborough Express. FRIDAY, JULY 4, 1919. PASTORAL SETTLEMENT.

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 187, 4 July 1919, Page 4

ESTABLISHED 1866. The Marlborough Express. FRIDAY, JULY 4, 1919. PASTORAL SETTLEMENT.

The policy of the Lands Department iii regard to the; disposition of liigh-..country subject to snow.in the winter time has been pointedly critir cisedi by "Agricola," the ' writier of the South: Island notesfiiii the SJarmers' Union Advocate. i! The criticism is the more ■worthy of attention as the writer is-^-or ,s«i he' has always appeared [to be—an experienced sheep-farmer, and therefore lias an expert knowledge of hi!! subje^. He is ' impressedl"•'•■-••with- thev fact' that though the snow"of:last a substantial loss ,to"' &jme of the settlers, aiidr »} setback' that will take -theni several years %>g9b over, other people ate riot deterred; from doing their best to get on to similar country. !'. Runs are changing [hands at*big figures, -and those that *are being cut rip f^r the soldiers are being rushed with applicants.' : "Thfe life is an e.asy one,' 'T remarks the corresl--pondent, "and the profits are good when the weather is suitable. Given j»i £cv fine' years, a.nd the fortunes of men on thaft high tussock country are made." He asserts that the Department is too cohservativevia1 the treatment of such 'country! "The officers are loth to cut it up as much as those who have worked upon it would like to iseejj|and though in some cases there ha&'Been a. lot of agitation locally to have the bigger stations subdivided 'for'-clciser settle 7 inent. the Government has been firm ■in its decision iiot'it<b"!ido so. Iti is a pity that so much caution is observed. Conditions dunng the last twenty yeura have altered much in connection with sheep^ fanning, and mora especially during the latter portion of that.period...-..There is now erery reason why closer settlement should be permitted;, on these runs, and one lias ■only to ; point outfc the high prices ..that are now being paid for some of■ the small grazing runs *to prove how: beneficial would be the cutting up of nioi-e ;. of iihe pastoral country." The correspondent rightly Urges, that; even, if the country produced no moi-o- under ■ closer settlement than it is doing now, it would be much bettei- for several to make a comfortable living than -foi* one man or company to; bo making a fortune every year. < . What is more serious is that aggregation, is going on. in ~some of the pastoral districts in spite of tlie laws which are supposed to stop, it. "It is dMi<3airte.r)ing B " says "Agricola," "to see some of the subdivided lands being aggregated by big land holders. The smaller men are selling; out, not becauso iihey are not doing well, but because the sums that, they, are being offered are so tempting "that they cannot pass them by." Men who are doing well can afford io buy out at a Ing figure, and thes•iare s© in many imstanoes. "The irony of the position," the correspondent proceeds, 'fis that in some cases where agricultural land has been subdivided into very small sections, too small for a main, to get a living from, especially if he has v family, the land hoards are reluctant to' allow two holdings to go into , one, maiding a decent farm. In somo instances applications to divide a small farm among several neighbors, so that the holdings may be large.enough. to get. a' living. from, have been refused, while not far away men with thousand-; of acres. have been mopping up whole farms pf considerable size alongside their holdings." "Agricola" stia,tes that the feeling against aggregation of pastoraJ lands is growing more intense every day, and lie issues the warning that if in. the future government of the country more drastic measures aire not taken to prevent it there will be trouble.