THE LAND LEAGUE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XI, Issue 611, 18 June 1881, Page 3

THE LAND LEAGUE.

(To the Editor of tlus MouK-f Ida CnriONTCi/Bj

Sib, —Permit mo through the medium of your columns a Bmnll spnoo for the following note in rogard to the " New Zimland Lund League." Mr Pyko is in favor of cutting tho runs in blocks of about SOOOoores each, anol allowing no person moro than one of tho said blocks; If this proposition wore enacted I believe it would bo the shortest track over disclosed to the field of calamity and misery for the miner and small farmer, who have a few head of cattle to •onabld thorn lo support thoic families, One-toiitaporoontof thominorahiivo not sufficient funds to take up an ordinary, sized farm, no matter) what lerma the Govern* ment may enact for settlement on land. If tho above became law, it would only be suitable for a second or third-class " squatter," or, as it is termed in tho Old Country, ft "middle-man." If this class of men get tho land they will not bo one-fourth so good for the welfare of tho community as tho present runholders, boeauso if thoy give permission to depasture a head of groat cattle, thoy will charge four or fivo times tho amount of grazing-foe that tho proeont runholdors charge, and I bolievo a dozen public pounds in every county, if those blocks woro takou up, would bo required. I i/olievo in leasing the runs in the usual way, and have froo selection without compensation (except whore improvements woro made by tho lesseo), on thosamo terms as tho Now Zoaland Agricultural Company are giving—viz., "Terms of payment extending over ton years, at 4 por cent por annum. No portion of tho purchase money payable for seven years unless at tho option of the purchase). After aovon yoars paymont may bo madoby one-quarter cublj, tho balance into threo equal payments extending ovor three years, bearing four por cent interest." If tho land was classified and sold at 10s to £1 10a per aero on tho above terms, tho revenue of tho Colony, in seven yoars, from the augmentation of agricultural produce, I believe would bo tenfold. A " Land League" for Now Zealand is neodod in somo districts, but a Water " Leaguo " on tho gold/iolds is is needed ten times moro than a " Land Leaguo." There is nothing I can imagine so absurd as granting a head-race to any porBon without conditions to sell at a fixed prino per head. Except thoro aro now laws enae* tod, and tho old laws repealed in rogard to water on tho goldfields, thoro will not bo a miner on tho " diggings" in Now Zoaland fivo years from thia date, oxcopt some of those extortioners who charge an exorbitant price for their water, in order to have tho claims of their uoighbors. 1 must admit, Mr Editor, that some aro soiling water at ft reasonablo price, but othora roeall to an Irishman's mind tho'opprussion of a tyrannical landlord in tho "old country." Tho leaso systom on goldfiolds for mining should bo erased, except for claims on which a largo expenditure of capital is to bo incurrod. There) are, iu tho fcit Bathana Riding, sovoral hundred acres of auriferous land enclosed by a fenco of privato monopoly which requires levelling to give publio c'oyolopment tha right of ingress and ogross within tho boundary this fonco circumscribes. Ono-tenth of somo of tho land takou up in tho above way will not bo workod by the present ownors in, this generation. Thoy hold snob, an extent of it that others will never open their olaims except it is proßpected, by some adjoining party, and proved to bo payable. It is to bo hoped our councillors for tho St Bathans Riding will draw tho attention of our worthy representative, Mr do Lautour, to tho necessity of new laws' to bo enaotod oonoornlng water on tho gold Hold .—I am, &o, 1.D.1?. . St Bathans, Juno, Ist,