MR. ADAM'S MISSION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3686, 27 November 1873, Page 7

MR. ADAM'S MISSION.

,It was no doubt mainly owing to the strong inducements which Mr Adam was able to hold out to intending emigrants when employed-as agent in Britain for Otago some sixteen years ago, that he succeeded in directing to lathis Province so large a number of fami- ! lies and individuals of a highly suitable description. Immigrants introduced through Mr Adam's : -instrumentality-: are to be met with in almost e^ery settled district of Otago, and not a few of

them have now attained a degree of comfort, prosperity, and even social influence, quite equal to, if not exceeding, all that his representations at home ever gave them just reason to expect. During his former visit to Britain as Emigration Agenv, Mr Adam was able to point to the sue-

cessful career of a number of the earliest settlers of Otago. He will now be able to describe the successes achieved by many of those whom lie himself induced to come hither, and he will no doubt carry with him the written testimony of many such successful colonists.

Few will be disposed to deny that Mr Adam was fully warranted in holding out very strong inducements to certain classes of emigrants, when employed as Emigration Agent fifteen or sixteen years ago. It may be worth while, however, to consider whether that gentleman is now able to offer the same amount of encouragement to come hither to persons in the home country whom it is desirable to attract to our shores. For example, the question may very propei-ly be asked at the present time—what prospects can now be held out to small farmers, ploughmen, labourers, and others, that they will be able to acquire, within a reasonable period, and on fair terms, that much coveted object :of ambition to numbers in the home: coxmtry—a freehold of their own upon which they could eventually settle with their families and lead lives of independence and comfort 1 It may be urged by some that such prospects are now very small indeed ; that circumstances with regard to the acquisition of land in Otago are now greatly changed for the worse ; that although many of those who came hither upon Mr Adam's representations, some dozen or fifteen years ago, may now be comfortably settled upon their own freeholds, yet that few or none possessed of only limited means, who may now or hereafter arrive in Otago, need expect to be able to do so; that almost all the public land of any value, as regards either quality or proximity to port or market, is already in the hands of private persons, who are not likely to dispose of it except upon; highly disadvantageous terms to intending purchasers. There can be no doubt that, in the very nature of the case, the first settlers ! in a Colony i-eap some advantages which those who come long after them need scarcely expect to participate in. But such advantages are. Usually dearly bought; for the pioneers of colonisation have hardships and privations to endure, and difficulties to encounter, which those who follow for the most part escape. It might be shown that the earliest settlers of Otago formed no exception to this rule. It may be shown also, by a comparison of the Otago. of 1857, when Mr Adam first proceeded to Britain as Emigration Agent; with the Otago of 1873, that the chances of success to large numbers of immigrants of the right sort who may arrive here within the next two or three years, are upon the whole just as great and as certain as they were to those who came hither.during the years immediately succeeding the date of Mr Adam's first mission, and in some respects even much more so.

In 1857, and for some years thereafter, the only localities in "which, land could be purchased were Dunedin and suburban districts, Taieri, Waihola, Tokomairiro, Clutha, and Invercargill and neighbourhood. With affesw s trifling exceptions all the land on the seaboard north of Blueskin, and south of Clutha, was in the occupation of squatters, while the interior was almost wholly a terra incognita, mainly: affording sustenance to wild dogs and herds of wild pigs. Until the opening of the main road by North-East Valley, about ten or eleven years ago, the only land communication between Dunedin and the North wias by a difficult and sometimes a dangerous bridle track over Flagstaff, tne Snowy Mountain, and along the ranges above

Blueskin and Waikouaiti. The route northward from Waikouaiti was still more difficult. There was not at that time more than a few chains of metalled road in the whole Province; and usually for a month or two every winter all communication by dray (for there was then np other sort of wheeled vehicle) between r ,Dunedin and the South was wholly interrupted, the " 3wamp road" opposite Fern Hill being rendered utterly impassable by the i winter's rains, and foot passengers and horsemen had to enter and leave Duhedin along the adjoining! hill-sides and ridges as best they could. While such was the" state of matters in the immediate vicinity ofi Dunedin, the means of communication with more distant localities was,,,still worse. . :Jn/ fact, it may Be safely affirmed \ that a number of Mr Adam's immigrants •who purchased; and settled on' land in the Clutha district,. and ; eyen in some parts -of Tokomairiro, encountered • greater (difficulties in' conveying their families and,their, goods to their destinations than, have now to. be met in conveying families to the Dunstan or Queenstown^ or to most of those localities within the Province in which are situated large tracts.'of excellent agricultural and pastoral land as yet unsold. To- these we! shall more particularly refer in a future issue, as likely io.-be'. available at an ' early date for: the -purposes of bona.fide settlement tci those who may be induced by Mr Adam's representations to emigrate to Utago, as well as to those who have already come hither, and are yet unprovided with suitable freeholds ,»f their own. ' In another column we publish a Return by Mr J. T. Thomson, Chief Surveyor, of "iLands. and their" Glasses in the Province of Qfcago (exjeliusive of Southiand),at3l3* March> 1873.':' This return may be -of some service in the consideration ofthequestion .as to the extent and suitableness of the unsold lands of the Province for the piirppses of agricultural settlement. The total area of Otagoj exclusive of Southland, is.set down by Mr Thomson at a little over 13£ millions of acres, of which about 9^ millions are stated, to be agricultural laad, the remaining four millions of acres being desciibed as barren, forests, and lakes. The total-i area of the Hundreds, neai-ly all of j which extend along the eastern seaboard for only a short distance inland, is returned at 1,440,400 acres, the i whole of which has been sold, or other-' wise disposed of, with the exception of 314,144- acres. Since the date of the return, the demand £or land has been considerable, and very: extensive saleß of Crown lands within the Hundreds are reported to have taken place. As all the existing Hundi-ecte havo now been in the market for a long period, it may be assumed that any land now remaining unsold within their limits is of inferior quality or disadvantageously situated, and that there is, therefore, very little of it left for

sale upon which families of moderate means could at present settle, and advantageously engage in agricultural, dairy, or even pastoral pursuits. Of the land outside the Hundreds, about 120,000 acres are reported as having been sold, and 6* millions of acres as being under pastoral, agricultural, or coal-mining leases. The lands sold outside the Hundreds include 11,428 acres previously held under agricultural leases, as well as the recent large purchases of Messrs Clarke, Cargill and Anderson, and other runholders. The 65,572 acres under agricultural leases on the Goldfields were secured under the Otago Goldfields Act of 1866. It is interesting to notice that the number of coal mining leases outside the Hundreds is thirty-five. So far, therefore, as the extent of area is concerned, there is still abundance of Crown Lands remaining for sale, and they have now become questions of the gravest importance—what proportion of the 6| millions of Crown Lands at present under lease is suitable for settlement, and what steps are likely to be taken by the Government to withdraw within a reasonable period a sufficient amount of such lands irom the operation of the existing leases, and to, place the possession of them within the.reach of bond fide settlers who are already resident in the Province, or who may arrive within the next few years under the Government Immigration Scheme. These are questions which the Provincial Emigration Agent, Mr Adam, must be prepared to answer in a clear and satisfactory manner in the course of his mission to the home -country.

There can be little or no doubt that, for the purposes of agricultural settlement, by far the most valuable portion of Otago still held under pastoral leases is the district which stretches eastward from tie Mataura River towards the Tapanui Ranges and the Popotunoa Hundred, and northward from the present road between JDunedin and Invercargill. The land referred to comprises an area of about 200,000 acres, and is made up of portions of thirteen different runs, which, in proportion to their respective areas, are among the most valuable in the Province. It was affirmed, apparently unanimously, by a resolution of the Provincial • • Council last July, that "the whole of this area of 200,000 acres is well adapted for farms ranging from 100 up to, say, 1000 acres each; the smaller for dairy and cultivation, the larger for, farms partly arable and partly pastoral." It was also resolved at the same time that this area should be withdrawn from sale for the purpose of being placed under the operation of the deferred payments system, as it might be required; and that a Commission should be appointed to enquire and report, during the recess, "as to the necessity and advisability of selling portions of the runs " of which the land in question forms a part, "not agricultural land, for the payment of Railways within the Province." The district referred to is within a day's easy journey by coach from Invercargill, and; is not much more than one long day's travel from Dunedin; and during the greater part of the year it is infinitely more easy of access than were the Molyneux, and even 1 the Tokomairiro districts, when many of Mr Adam's immigrants settled in these localities in 1858 and succeeding years. But a large portion of the district will be traversed .by the Main Trunk Railway between Dunedin and Invercargill, now iii course of construction, and it will j thus be brought within a few hours' distance of the two chief towns and seaports of the Province. Besides, the proposed branch railway from the main line near Popotunoa to Tapanui, where there is an extensive and valuable bush, and to the Teviot, Dunstan, and other goldfields, would also pass through the district. In addition to this the Waikaia, Switzers, and other diggings are within, or at no great distance, from the district The country is well watered by the numerous tributaries of the Mataura and the Pomahaka Rivers, which may be said to form its western and eastern: boundaries respectively for a distance of upwards of thirty miles. Much of it consists of open grass land ready for the plough. The soil generally is-known to be of very superior quality, and the climate,salubrious and highly suitable for farming and dairy operations as well as for grazing. There.; isabundance of timber within easy reach, while coal or lignite of superior quality is found in several places. It~is understood that the Government haye already taken the necessary steps for cancelling the leases of portions of some of the runs jwithin the district, and that at an early date at least three separate areas will be brought under the deferred payments system as provided by the Waste Lands Act of ; 1872i Two of these areas are expected■:**>■:s&■ -about SQOO acres each, and "ihV^tKird^-about 2500 acres. As there is no cause to doubt the anxiety of; the-'presentv Executive to provide suitable and sufficient: {and for thepurposes of bond fde settles ment, itmay reasonably be expected that every possible means will be; taken by th^m to secure for intending settlers the whole •r the greater part of this valuable piece of country as contemplated* by the Provincial Council. There* are several other localities within the Province which may also be shown to be still available for settlemdßt, and towards which it is believed the Government are earnestly directing their attention. Thb settlement of suitable persons on the unsold Crown lands of Otago, by means, ©f the ,system of deferred paymenta,M likely to be brought into somewhat extensive operation within the next few years. It is worth while, therefore, to consider the provisions which have been made by the Legislar ture lor carrying out the scheme. Power was .given by the Goldfields Act of 1866 to grant leases for the occupation of lands within the limits of the Goldfield districts for agricultural purposes; and, subject to certain specified condi-, tions, the lands so leased, if found to be { non-auriferous, may, after a specified period, be oonverted into freehold property. The scheme has proved, on the whole, highly successful, and by its means a comparatively large population has been comfortablysettled on the goldfields, and numerous valuable properties have been already acquired by lease or purchase by miners aud other persons. A privilege of the same nature was not granted to settlers outside' the Goldfields until the passing of the Otago Waste Lands Act of last year, which contains provisions in some re-

spects of a still more favourable description for the ultimate acquiring of freeholds by persons of moderate means. For this purpose the Superintendent, with the consent of the Provincial Council, is empowered to set apart blocks of suitable lands not exceeding 5000 acres each, to the extent of 30,000 acres in one year...lt is provided, however, that no further land shall be so set apart until one-third of the entire quantity of land previously devoted to the purpose is sold or leased, and in course of being cultivated. The extent of land which can be held under lease by one person at the same time is 200 acres, for which an annual occupation fee of half-a-crown an acre must bo paid half-yearly in advance. The provisions for securing that the occupation of the land shall be of an undoubtedly bona fide ■ nature, are of tke most stringent description; and if the law be at all t fairly . administered, it is difficult to see how any means can be ftmnd of -employing- the measure for the purposes of-mere speculation, or of otherwise defeating the intentions of the Legislature. The following are some of the conditions of the occupation license to be issued by the "Waste Lands Board to the holders of land on defeiTecl payments:—The occupation fee must be paid half-yearly in advance ; the licensee or his assigns cannot, until the Crown grant is obtained, sublet his allotment or any part of it; he must, within three years from the.issue of his license, enclose the whole of the land with a good and substantial fence, and have a tenth of it at least under cultivation; .he must personally occupy the allotment within six months of the issue,of his.license, and thenceforward during its continuance; he must make substantial and permanent improvements on the land held by him equal to £1 per acre on the whole area; and in the event of the non-fulfilment of any of these conditions, the license may be annulled. But if all the conditions are complied with to the satisfaction of the Board, the licensee may, at the. expiry of three years, obtain a Crown .grant of the land upon paymeut of seventeen shillings and sixpence per aa*e. If, however, he should so elect, a lease of the allotment for a term of seven years will be given on the same tei'ins as before, as regards rent; and upon the payment of the last half-yearly rent due for the extended period, or upon the payment at any time of the difference between what he has already paid per acre in the shape of occupation fee and rent and the entire sum of twentyfive shillings per, acrej the lessee or his representatives shall be entitled to a Crown grant of the laud. In other words, the price of the land is to be twenty-five, shillings per acre,, but the occupier, if he chooses, may pay the purchase ■ money by twenty half-yearly instalments, no interest being chargeable all the while for the unpaid portion of the price. There is also a provision to the effect that in the case of the death of' the licensee or;'his assigns during the currency of the three yeai^s' license, it shall not be obligatory on the executors or administrators of such, licensee or. his assigns to comply with the condition of personal occupation.

The advantages of such, a scheme as this to bcnm-fide settlers who may become successful applicants for occupation licenses, are greatly enhanced by a fact brought put during a.debate in th© Legislative Council in September, 1872, when it was twice stated, on apparently good authority, £hat the whole of the 5000-acre block at Tcifoes Bay, which had already been set apart by the Provincial Government under the deferred payments system, was actually worth £3 an acre; while, making allowance

for interest, the actual price to the licensee would be only about 13s lOd per acre. The provisions of the Act which relate to the applications^for occupation allotments, and the manner in which they are to be disposed of, seem to be very carefully prepared, and likely to work fairly^-bn' the whole. With a view to prevent the obtaining of licenses Tor merely speculative purposes, the Act provides tha'tC no person shall become the licensee in his own

name, or,in that of. others, for more than 200 acres; that* no license shall be issued to any person who :m under 18 years of age, or who is a married woman not having obtained a decree of judicial separation, or is in respect of the! allotment applied for an agent, servant, or trustee for.any other person, or who at the time of the application has entered into -any agreement to dispose of the allotment :or hia interest in it in any way to any other person. We have already specified the other leading conditions. It is positively declared that "all lands applied for shall be so applied for bona fide for the use and benefit of the applicant in his own proper person, and not as the agent, or servant, or trustee of any other person," and that any i violation of the conditions of the license shall inevitably lead to its forfeiture. In another column we publish a portion of the speech made by the Hon. Dr Menzies when moving the second reading of the Otago Waste Lands Bill in the Legislative Council last year. In. this'speech Dr Menzies states con* cisely but clearly the leading arguments in favour of the deferred payments system, and meets some of the objections urged against it by its opponents. As yet only one block of land seems to have been opened for application by the Government. It consists of 5000 acres adjoining ToitoesHarbour, at the mouth of the Mataura River, and to which we have already referred as being all over worth £3 per acre. It is understood that more than half of this land ia already taken up, and that the whole is likely; soon to be applied for. At its last session the Provincial Council, on the invitation of the Superintendent, authorised His Honour to take the necessary steps to set apart, under the deferred paymeuts system, ten different blocks of land in various parts of the Province.. They contain in the aggregate 30,000 acres, being the maximum area authorised by the Waste Lands Act to be taken in anyone year. As these blocks comprise only a very small portion of the lands of the Province which are available for the purposes of agricultural settlement, and as some time must elapse before arrangements can be completed for throwing open the whole of the blocks already sanctioned, Mr Adam will be ablo to assure intending emigrants in Britain and Ireland that they will arrive here in sufficient time to avail themselves of the provisions of the deferred payments system, if they should feel so disposed.