THE OTEKAIKE ESTATE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXV, Issue 9730, 6 January 1908, Page 1

THE OTEKAIKE ESTATE.

To the Editor. Sir,—l have read the Hon. Mr M'Xab's interpretation and justification of the Act Te the granting of preferential allotments on the'Ulekaike Estate to a favored few, and while giving liim credit for wishing to do justice, as he interprets it, to the men whom it is alleged' have been deprived of their employment owing to the sale of Otekaike, J. do not think that he can be aware of the extent of the grant these men have received. It is confidently asserted by men who are intimately acquainted with the value of these sections, that by their extent and choice quality; the Land Board have virtually given them a princely income of anything over £SOO per num., with an assured independency of thousands, any time they choose to dispose of their goodwill. Surely, sir, the Act was not made to make individuals, who are under an employer merely during his pleasuie, millionaires, while others are homeless and landless, simply, because they had the good fortune to be employed on that particular place when it was purchased by public money. It is a wellknown, fact that the eyes of Otekiiike have been picked out', and are how held by these men, and that these sections could easily have been subdivided again with profit. No one blames them for applying for what they did, seeing that the. Act gave them choice of doing so, but it seems to me that those responsible should see that justice is done to others besides those who have had the good fortune to be working for R. Campbell and Sous.—l am etc., LANDLESS.