Original Correspondence.

Otago Witness, Issue 498, 15 June 1861, Page 5

Original Correspondence.

THE SQUATTERS OF SOUTHLANDSHALL THEY BE LORDS OF THE SOIL, OR TENANTS OF THE CROWN ? To tfie Editor of the Otaoo Witness. Sir — The above question, being virtually involved in Dr. Mcnzies' v Resolutions for proposed Land Law," published in your issue of the Bth inst., I am anxious, as one deeply interested in the prosperity of our new Province, to call the attention of the" public to a careful consideration of it, previous to the election of the Provincial Council, and to suggest that the views of those who are put in nomination as members of the Council should be ascertained by the electors before promising their votes Pressing engagements prevent my reviewing at length the Resolutions above mentioned, but I will as concisely as possible state what appear to me to be the most objectionable points, premising, that though some of the propositions seem good, yet as a whole the proposed policy of our expected Superintendent is to my mind both incomplete and unsatisfactory — enunciating no comprehensive plan for division of the Province into Counties and Townships, and_ laying off main trunk lines of road previous to survey and sale of rural sections ; no reserves of rural sections for Educational purposes — a vital question; no system for making the waste land, in the Jirst instance, and without the necessity of selling it, a means of obtaining, by free grants, a large immigration of the most valuable kind, such as in Auckland has been found so successful, and which must have come under his observation when attending the sessions of the General Assembly. As to the waste lands being managed by one Commissioner — it may be a less evil to have one man with very large powers, but who is responsible for all that is done, than a number of men who can elude the responsibility of their actions, as is the case with the practically irresponsible Board at Dunedin. But the whole should not be entrusted to one officer, unless an appeal against his decision can be made either to the Provincial Council or some other tribunal. We must have no autocracy in any of our public departments. Though tfce division of Country Lands into Agricultural and Pastoral appears to be desirable, yet i<t must be borne in mind that such division can, from the nature of the country, be in fact only a rough approximation, and that in the Pastoral districts there will be a large amount of fertile arable land in patches of from five acres to five hundred acres and upwards, and this even in the most hilly and rugged Sheep Runs. I speak from experience, having myself occupied for some years one of the most hilly Runs in the South Island. It will therefore be very objectionable to cell land even in the Pastoral districts at ten shillings an acre, but will be much better to give the squatter a long lease, with a preemptive right, at £1 per acre, over 500 acres, or even 1000 in some cases, and to reserve the rest of the country until it will realize XI per acre. To sell land- at !<)•. the acre will be to alienate the waste lands for the benefit of & few capitalists, chiefly squatters, instead of holding it in trust for the present and future benefit of the public. Aj to giving the squatters a pre-emptive right over pnetenth of their runs at 10s. the acre, this is nbt

to be listened to for a moment. * What has the squatter done to entitle him to take tithes of the best of the land ? With this unmerited privilege, and with the power of afterwards going into the market on the same terms as other purchasers, he will really, as above stated, become the lord of the soil. I fully coincide with Dr. Menzies in his statement that "their -(the squatters and agriculturists) interests do harmonize, and are Dot necessarily antagonistic, unless through the operation of injudicious or improper laws," and much regret that he should so inconsistently have proposed a measure which must inevitably have the effect of placing the two classes in a state of antagonism. What the squatters are entitled to is such a tenure as will allow them to occupy the waste lands with the greatest possible mutual benefit to themselves and the public. A long lease— a pre-emptive right over 500 acres, and even 1000 acres (on very large runs) — a moderate rent, — and to my mind, assessment on stock is preferable to payment by acreage, — will secure this. I have no hostile feeling towards the squatters, and fully appreciate them as the main promoters of the prosperity of all new colonies, in pastoral countries like Australia and New Zealand— but let them be kept in their proper place as tenants of the Crown. Do not let them become " Lairds of the Hill and the Dale." Wool is a very good thing in its right place, on the sheep's back, and the more of it there the better ; but our "gentle shepherds" must not be allowed to draw it over the eyes of the freeholders and voters of Southland. As to setting aside in {he agricultural districts " Specialoccupation land," this does not seem at all desirable. The more simple the land regulations are, the better — special occupations are likely to become public grievances. With regard to unsurve) r ed agricultural land open for sale, it seems very injudicious to limit the size of a special survey to 320 acres. Capital has its rights as well as labour. When the immigrant with £3000 or £5000 arrives in the Province and finds there is no opening for him in the squatting line, why should not he be allowed to purchase a thousand acres or more in one block, at the upset price of £1 per acre, the survey being made at his own cost, subject to the supervision of the Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands ? It must be bonie in mind, that such special surveys would necessarily be situated in the more distant and less eligible localities, for all land near towns or contiguous to main lines of road, would of course be surveyed into small sections of forty acres and upwards, so that there could be no monopoly of the lands most suitable for small farms. Unless capitalists are allowed to purchase enough land in one block, upon which they can have acope to invest the remainder of their money, and so form an estate for their families, some very valuable settlers will be repelled from our Province and induced to establish themselves in some other province or colony, where more judicious land regulations admit of their making a legitimate use of their capital. Hoping that the subject of our future land laws will be fliscussed by others having more leisure and ability than myself, I remain, &c,

Investigator.

P.S. With regard to a pre-emptive right of 500 acres of arable land on all runs, it may be questioned whether a smaller block would not be enough on some of the smaller cattle and dairy runs.

[We think our correspondent should have put his name to his letter. The Southern electors have to choose men to represent them ; advice and warning are of little value compared with the practical remedy of an evil. — Ed. O. W."]