CLIFTON SETTLEMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20006, 25 January 1927, Page 4

CLIFTON SETTLEMENT.

TO THE EDXTOB. Sib,—As on who is desirous of obtaining land on reasonable conditions, and interested in the successful settlement of Clifton estate, I beg to give my views on the settlement in order to show the exact conditions from the viewpoint of a practical farmer after a visit to the estate. I wish to point out at the outset that the estate generally is looking well, but intending applicants must not forget that the whole of Otago is looking its best at present, particularly the grasses. After careful observation of Clifton I have come to the conclusion that it is good sheep country, and that it is not cattle and gramgrowing country. Assuming that the estate will carry one ew r o to an acre, 1 fail to see how any intending settlers can make good on Clifton, seeing that the rent of many of the sections, over all, including valuation for improvements, will roach the high figure of 10s per acre per annum. The sections are too small and the rents are absurdly high; the capitalisation on the buildings on the sections is far above the true value. The crops on Clifton are poor, being short and thin, and will not thresh out 30 bushels to the acre. Again, the turnip crops do not promise to be good, and this year’s grass is a partial failure. An injustice is being done in charging the incoming tenants for the 192627 grass, which should be included as old pasture. Many of the original selectors of the Clifton sections, after spending their time and money on their selections abandoned their holdings as they could not “make good,” and, from conversations with those settlers who remained, they do not appear to be satisfied even now, after more than five years have passed away since the estate was first selected. My conclusion is that the sections should be grouped in order to give d practical farmer a chance to succeed on Clifton; the rents should be reduced 50 per cent., as they are at present too high; the valuation on the buildings should be reduced one-half. —I am, etc., Young New Zealand. Dunedin. January 24. Sib,—The remarks of your contributor on my letter of the 18th inst. on the above Settlement are very much appreciated, but of course Mr Reid must be surprised. He may rest assured that I have no axe to grind that the Homestead block is not my object, and that I am writing not on behalf of any friends, but on behalf of all intending, applicants. I still state that I am anxious to see the Estate successfully settled. 1 have lived in the district longer than Mr Reid, and claim to know more about Clifton than he does. Clifton never was cattle country, and the few head tha® he has fattened on the place have been fattened at a cost which only he himself knows, and which no settler could afford. Unless continually limed and_ top-dressed, as has been done by Mr Reid, the grasses wall not last any time and the whole place will revert to Mr Telford’s favourite grass —poa praetensis. This can be seen by any applicant' at the present time. I could point out paddocks which Mr Reid says have been top-dressed, and I will defy him to fatten sheep, let alone cattle, on them. As to oats grown on the estate, what was threshed during the past years does not count. Applicants can see this year’s results, and I will stick, tneretore, to my remarks in my letter of the 18th inst. For Mr Reid to compare _ Clifton with Inchclutha or the Taieri is simply ridiculous. In Mr Reid’s letter of 20th inst. he states that present settlers are recommending intending applicants to go forward. If so, why is a present settler again applying for a reduction in his rental? Regarding the challenge thrown out. I would like Mr Reid to know that I work a _ good deal harder than he does for a living, and I have no five pound notes to risk in the hands of the two gentlemen nominated by him. I am very pleased to see he is busy showing intending settlers round the estate, and again I hope it will be successfully settled.—l am, etc.. Farmer. Balclutha, January 24.