THE OAMARU DISTRICT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1032, 9 September 1871, Page 8

THE OAMARU DISTRICT.

(from our own correspond en r.) in.

A general view of this district will present some points of special interest, now that attention is being directed to the settlement of the country. It has always appeared to me that, apart from the question of revenue to be derived from the Bale of land, too much attention has been given to opening up fresh blocks of land for settlement, and too littlo to the increase of facilities for the settlement of large blocks already sold and occupied. Comparatively little land can now be made available in the interior for the growth of cereals, and the fattening of stock must necessarily be chiefly done near the coast, where the meat preserving companies offer a ready sale. The supply of the local requirements of our present population in the interior is soon effected, so far as meat and bread are concerned ; and until railways stretch far into the interior, any export from places removed over 20 miles from the coast will be impracticable." Why, then, should it not bo recognised as a fact, that for some years to come any new immigrants are likely to seek employment and a home where already the land is partially occupied, and the chief elements of civilisation exist 1 In several parts of Southland — notably around Riverton — on the Clutha, and in the district of Oamaru, we have land of the finest character within easy distance of the coast, which, by means of short lines of railway now initiated or in progress, will in a year or so bo able to raise immense crops of cereals and English grasses, capable of fattening all the store stock the province can produce. The one desideratum — in fact, the one essential to the end —is labour, moderate in cost, somewhat skilled, and plenty of it.

Taking the Oamani district as covering an area of about 300,000 acres, and deducting a third of this as either too hilly or otherwise inferior, or too remote from a shipping port, we have 200,000 acres capable of growing excellent crops of wheat, oats, or barley. Reckoning a low average of 25 bushels an acre, this would produce five million bushels in one year — something near the produce of South Australia. Of course it never will be all under cereals at one time ; but allowing even 50,000 acres per annum for four years, the product in grain would be very large, and there would still he room for a large amount of grazing in addition. Supposing the supply of labour, either European or Chinese, obtainable, we have then but to consider, can markets be obtained ? and this is a question very much of price. If Aye can once succeed in pro ducing wheat at two and sixpence a bushel, oats at eighteen pence, and barley for malting at three shillings, on board export vessels, we should not despair of finding markets ; and wu believe such a result is not impossible if labour can be cheapened to an average standard of £40 per annum and keep for an able-bodied agricultural labourer, and if the cost of conveyance and shipment can also be materially reduced. The present actual cost of a bushel of wheat grown within seven or eight miles of the shipping port is somewhere about three shillings and threepence, taking an average of 25 bushels. Divided thus — s. d. Tillage and Seed 1 0 Harvesting 0 10 Thrashing 0 3 Carting 0 2\ Shipping 0 2h Kent (say 10s an acre) 0 5 Incidentals, Interest, and Management 0 4 3 3 This is reckoning on cultivation on a large scale, with double and treble furrow ploughs, and all the best appliances. The items of tillage and harvesting are capable of being reduced by twenty pur cent, with labour at the figure before mentioned ; threshing — with cheaper coal — twenty per I cent. ; carting and shipping — with railways \ and harbour improvements — forty to fifty j)er cent. Rent, no doubt, would rather rise than fall with the increased value of land, but incidentals and management might be put at a considerably lower figure if a large trade were regularly organised. Altogether, then, something like 9d a bushel might be saved, and by the aid of tramways cultivation might be pushed on much further from the coast. Freightage could also doubtless be cheapened with increase of trade and shipping facilities. At present a bushel of wheat can be delivered by steam in Auckland for sixpence, and in Melbourne for sevenpence to eightpence. But not to enlarge further on this question, 1 will proceed to describe our present SHIPPING FACILITIES. At the port of Oamaru the surf boats ship produce at four shillings and six-

pence a ton ; but as there aro no facilities for storage on the beach, there in an additional expense of two shillings for cartage from the stores. On the completion of the tramway now in course of construction round the Cape, and about 300 feet of sea wall, small coasters will be able to lie alongside, and receive cargo at little over two shillings a ton from the town stores, and the large Melbo\irne steamers will be able to lie so close that with large boats loaded under the shelter of the wall, it will be possible to deliver on board from the stores, allowing a shilling a ton for carriage by the tramway, at something like three shilings and sixpence to four shillings a ton.

KAKANCI, Seven miles south of Oamaru, though not so large a shipping place, will command a large trade, from the proximity of the meat preserving works, the Totara estate, the Taipo boiling-down works, and the large felmongery. At present the charge for receiving, storing for a month, and shipping, is seven shillings a ton ; but, as trado increases, this may be reduced.

ALLPA.Y BAY, Three miles further south, an old whaling station, is an excellent shipping place, with a fine sandy beach, but is rather shallow close in for vessels of any considerable tonnage. The charges here at present are the same as at Kakanui. The great objection to both ports, as yet, is that they are not sufficiently well known for vessels of any size to be easily induced to load. The Emulous has, however, once loaded at .A May, for Melbourne, and is to load there again ; and the barque Acacia has partly loaded at Kakanui, for Melbourne. The s. s. Pretty Jane keeps up a constant conruiunication with Dunedin. The two sides of the Kakanui River are about to be connected near the mouth by a bridge, and then there will be a smart rivalry between the proprietors of the boats at Kakanui and those of Allday for the shipment of the produce of some ten or fifteen square miles of adjoining country, embracing some of the finest land in the district. Practically there is no reason why vessels should not load at these places as freely as at Oamaru, if the staff of hands is kept tip sufficiently to load them quickly. JIOEEAK.I. This is undoubtedly in many respects the best port on the coast, being only open xo the N.E., the bluff and the reef on the south and east sheltering it from the S.E, seas. Only very small vessels, however, can lie at the present jetty, and to make a jetty out into sufficiently deep water for a vessel of say 300 to 500 tons to lay alongside would cost a large sum of money. The great objection to the place is its remoteness from the centre of the district, and the comparatively small area of good land closely ad- [ joining. It will in my opinion be cheaper to ship at the other ports, notwithstanding their disadvantages, rather than pay for twenty or thirty miles of railway carriage, and still have to ship in boats. But time will show. WArTAKI-MoERAKI RAILWAY. This line, having been placed in the Second Schedule of the Public "Works Act last session, has been surveyed, and will probably be proceeded with in a few months. A. brief description of its course in sections will therefore not be out of place here. WAITAK I TO OAMARU, FOURTEEN MILES. This portion of the line runs over nearly a level plain, six miles of it shingly, the remainder fair land, all occupied by farmers. It will proceed along the Telegraph line to the site of the Waitaki Bridge, which is about three miles from the mouth of the river, and will therefore bring South Canterbury into easy communication with the coast. A branch line is contemplated on a lighter and less expensive scale, up the the Waitaki from' Pukinui Point, six miles north of Oamaru, to Awamoko, along the line of which a belt of cultiv ated land extends at present fifteen miles, with an average width of two milefj. A second branch, from Oamaru up Cave Valley and Waia- \ reka Valley, and. -eventually on to Marewhenua, would o-pen tip many thousand acres of fine country, besides lignite pits, and valuable quarries of Oamaru stone. This branch, or a portion of it, is now being strongly t\rged on the General Government by the landowners. OAMARU TO -OTEPOPO, FIFTEEN MILES. From the proposed station in Severn street, Oama ru> the line runs up what is known as the Parson's Gully, from the vicinity of the parsonage, and rises at rather a s^eep gradient — 1 in GO, I believe — to the higher ground behind the town, anc l runs across undulating country to t\ie Kakanui, which it crosses about tfuree miles from its mouth and to tlio left of the main south road. "It then runs straight across to the hiUts behind Herbert (Otepopo). It will pii ss very close to the large flour mill 'leased by Messrs Anderson and Mowat

from the Company at Kakanui, and beyond Herbert -will pass close to another flour mill recently completed, and worked by water-power. OTEPOPO TO MOERAKI PORT, ELEVEN MILES.

I am r.ot aware atwliab part the branch which it will be necessary to construct in order to connect the main line with the port, wDI come in, but I presume a mile or so north of the township of Hampden. The gradients, which it was feared would be heavy in some portions of this section of the main line, will, I hear, by keeping well under the hills, be very easy, and the cuttings, except in three or four places, not heavy. The only expensive bridge on the whole line will be that over the Kakanui, and the cost of that will not be veiy serious. I see no reason to doubt that the portion of the line from Waitaki to Oamaru can bo done for £3000 a mile, and the remainder at £5000— say for the whole 40 miles, £172,000 — exclusive of any jetty or harbour works at Moeraki or Oamaru. This line will give the district the ohoic-s of four shipping places ; but practically the contest Avill be between Oamaru and Moeraki ; and while I believe Oama.ru will succeed in holding her own, if the harbour works are carried to a successful point, I have no doubt Moeraki will get a great deal of trade from the southern part of the district as well. OAMARU STONE. The immense deposits of this now wellknown building stone will afford a valuable revenue to the railway, and with cheaper cost of carriage and shipping facilities, will also, I believe, be largely exported, as it will be possible to put it free on board at something like sixpence a cubic foot. Lime o f the best quality, also, can be produced very cheaply, even at present ; and with, coal cheapened by means of railway carriage, can be still more reduced in cost. Lignite beds exist all over the district, but as yet none equal to the Shag Valley pits. There is a little bush at Hatmpden, but not of much value. A larger trade in timber and firewood is likely to be done with the Waimate (Canterbury) when the Waitaki bridge is finished, and the line pushed on as far as the Waihoa.

I have no doubt v whatever, therefore, that this part of the ]V lain Trunk line will, with the two branch w s I have mentioned, pay a fair interest ou cost besides working expenses.