EARLY CANTERBURY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20596, 21 June 1930, Page 32 (Supplement)

EARLY CANTERBURY.

STORIES OF THE RUNS.

L. G. D. Ackland's book " Tho Early Canterbury Runs" is a» valnablo contribution to what may be called tho real history of New Zealand, It deals with tho earliest settlement of land in tho central province of the South Island and shows from what primitive beginnings the genius and enterprise of our race can build up a great and prosperous provinco. There is, of course,' in 15 something of tho ideals of the old New Zealand Company or tho Canterbury -Association, tho members of which, as'tho author points out,, hoped to create in this then far-off. and little known country a now and better England. " Men of capital," as Mr. Ackland tells us, " were to buy largo estates and form an aristocracy, and working men were to savo monoy, buy parcels of land and bccomo yeomen or peasants. Tho whole spirit .of tho association was against cheap land and tho squatting system, tho squatting system meaning renting largo areas cheaply and running stock on tho natural pasture." How far these earliest ideals woro realised, how by force of circumstances squatting did becomo comparatively common, is told briefly. Tho aristocratio idea, st. far as it was founded on tho systom cl landlord and tenantry, never took hold. Somothing moro democratic was evolved. Many of tho old runs bocamo noblo estates worked ,by their owners who established, in many casos, beautiful homos. But for tho most part Canterbury has become a provinco of yeoman farmers, who have developed agriculture t,o a high degree and created for themselvos a standard of living as advanced as any in tho world. Mr. Ackland's book'contains many interesting details regarding persons and properties in Canterbury, but liko McjNabfs "Historical Records" as a wholo it provides tho material on which the romance and in-

dustry of life in mid-New Zealand can bo built rather than tho intimalo details which should bo given to mako a truo picture of that fascinating period tho " early fifties." It should bo invaluable in stimulating writers to givo to later generations of Now Zealanclers tho real life of tho Canterbury Pilgrims. .

" Tho Early Canterbury Ruris" ( by L. Gi P. Ackland (Whitcomba. jmd Tomba Ltd.)