THE PASTORAL ESTATE.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2369, 9 December 1879, Page 2

THE PASTORAL ESTATE.

TO THE KDITOIt. Sir, — In thanking you in tho name of the pcoplo for your support of tlioir proposition as givon in your loading article of tho sth inst. , in which you state that while tho results hoped for by tho pooplo In tho apaco of sovon years aro extravagant, yot tho proposal contains " tho germ of a good thing," and that you rncommond the Administration to incroaso tho yearly rental of tho pastoral ostato in the sum of LlOO,OOO. I learn from this admission that you beliovo tho pastoral estate to be capable of very great development, and of becoming one of the foremost and surest means of permanent rovenuo which tho country possesses. Howover, Sir, allowing that the people's proposal is a maximum only to be attained after tho lapse of years, and a system of careful management on tho part of both tho Grown and tho tenant, I am disposed to admit your hypotheses to bo a correct one ; at the same timo I am convinced from an intimate knowlodgo of ton or twolvo million* of ncros of tho pastoral lands of tho colony, that tho occupiors might, wfth great advantage to the oolony and no detriment to thomsolvos, pay a much larger revenue to the Grown than tho sum named by you ; which, with tho prosont return, would bo L 232,000. Tho least sum that the pastoral ustato should contribute to tho rovonuo should bo L 400,000 per annum, from the yoar 1880 up to 1895, after which period it should increase in proportion to tho enhanced valuo of property, and as the certain rosuit of the settlement of tho country, tho enlargement of tho population and tho extra demand for pastoral produco. I apprehend, Sir, that it would bo a good thing for tho colony if tho Administration gave special attention to this matter, and instituted a system by which this most important portion of the great publio estate would bo improved, and made to yield those not less important results. As a step in this direction tho Government would do good work for the oolony, if they would encourage special pastoral settlement as well as that of agricultural. There are, Sir, at the present period some thousands of practical men comprised of station managers, shepherds, &0., who

have been economical enough to lay by considerable sums of money, in the hope of being enabled to take up email runs. Tho expiration of a largo number of pastoral leases in this and tho coming joar would faTor this hope, ns it is believed that the Government are not insensible to the utility of adopting a system by which the olass I have indicated may becomo prosperous, and remunerative pastoral tentnti of the Crown. The returns from the whole pastoral revenue might, in time, bo appropriated by tho counties of provincial districts in lieu of subsidies for public works and oducational purposes, and thus return together with local taxation a direct benefit to tho lands and people, from whence they would be derived. I am aware that tome political men are opposed to all systems of leases tinder the Crown ; but, Sir, tho majority of the people recognise in the conservation by the Crown of its pastoral lands a great and lasting means of revenue, and consequent benefit to the whole colony ; therefore they do not wish to see this section of the public estate pass away into the hands of a few wealthy individuals, who, having money at their command, could purchase the greater portion of it, if it were put into the imrket.— l am, British Tribune.