The Otago Witness.

Otago Witness, Issue 1585, 8 April 1882, Page 17

The Otago Witness.

WITH WHICH IB INCORPORATED THffl 'BODTHKBK MBBOOBI.'

SATURDAY, Bth APoIL, 1882.

Now that the pastoral leases which fell in this year have been sold, and the excitement in connection with the sale has subsided, it is natural that public attention should be directed to the large reserves made for purposes of settlement, nor is it necessary to offer any excuse for the reasonable anxiety which is felt as to the plan and method of their disposal Within Qtago and Southland alone something 1 like three and a-half millions of acres of what once formed the public estate have already been alienated, and have passed into private hands, and. this

enormous territory 01' course comprises all tlie richest and best land which we originally held at our disposal. The reserves lately made comprise 350,00,0 acres, which alao is the beat portion of the' Grown 1 lands remaining to us. Up to the present time the de-ferred-payment sydfcem alone in Obago and Southland must' beheld to, account for probably .half a million of acres ; and an immense impetus will now, of course be given 'to. J( a,liena,tfon, by,, the extension of that system from agricultural to pastoral land. 1 This extension will doubtless operate largely upon our present reserves, arid' in view of this it is clear that the, subject;, is, worthy of all the care which the public can exercise in discussing, and the Government in dealing with,, it. And it may, be fortunate that,- before the Waste Lands Board can be called upon to ; ' meet' the c[iies : tio'n, Parliament will have an opportunity of reviewing the whble subject,' and effecting such legislation as may yet be found necessary in the true interests of settlement

ODVUICUICUU. „ , „1 , , .< The views held, by the present Government' as 'to, , the best method of dealing with these lands may be gathered from' 'Mr M'K'errow's memorandum of May, , 1881, to the Waste Lands Board. "If this Strath-Taieri country and other similar areas under 30.00 feet were subdivided into sections of from 2000 to 5000 acres and offered in selected sections on pastoral deferredpayments, on immediate payments,' and on lease, settlers would have an opportunity of acquiring properties in the manner and of ■ a size suitable to their , circumstances . , and ideas." Now, , while we have nodoubt' thut many settlers would be able to satisfy their wants under a land classification such as' this, it' is undeniable that a large number of desirable colonists would not. On the pastoral de-ferred-payment land personal residence within 12 months is absolutely necessary — a condition, which excludes merchants and tracers of eyery description. in,,,town,s, and, farmers,.' .miners, and' others in country districts ; everyone, in fact, who has an established business or settled- occupation. "If itbe'sai'd that such as these' can. be supplied from.por-, tions of the reserves for immediate sale, the answer is that the morbid dread of monopoly is certain to" so influence the 'Government in their apportionment, that such lands will probably be very limited in extent and of inferior value, to say nothing of the fact that persons of limited-- capital," * compelled f to 'pur- j chase outright,- are deprived of valuable concessions granted to- fellow-colonists, more fortunate in being unattached 'perhaps, but 'in no ( sense moie.deserv•ingl ] W^.'nave,. zip objection w.hatever jto the;, deferred-payment system, as we' hayeknownitin the,pasti;<oh the'contrary, we think that experience has proved it to be -factor^ in 1 pi'b:nioting settlement.'. But . the object i 'held -in. view ■ when,' the ..system I was "first adopted 1 , should 'not 1 be lost sight of " now." It was' intended by it to give distinct advantages to of little or no capital, to enable such to acquire pieces 1 of land fr6e'from unequal competition, ' and "having first secured it, to pay for it by the proceeds ;of their labour as they went along. But Mien we come to deal with'blooks of land 'varying in extent from 2000 to 5000 acres, which obviously address themselves to persons' of considerable means, we fail to see why, one such person should have any considerable advantage over his neighbour. Then- care must be taken that the full price is >got for .these lands when they are sold.".- Under deferred payments—the special object of which, let d't be remembered^ is to" narrow down competition — the upset price is 20s payable in 15 years ; that is, one shilling and, fourpence ,per acre -a year, 'which is nob rental; but an instalment of thepurchas"e-moneyof thG fe6-simple." Whdh if is farther' re'mein'b'erecl that, at^ the recent run sale many persons who may- be presumed to know what they 'were about gave rentals of from Is to Is 6d per acre for a, precarious lease over land • inferior to most of that comprised in the reserves, it is clear that if they are' not rackrented then the upset price of de-ferred-payment land is much too low. If competition were perfectly free it would not matter what the upset price might be, for the laud would necessarily bring its value; bub if the residence clause fulfils one of the main objects of ■ its existence, and shuts off active com- ! petition, then it appears to us there is danger of the public lands being sacrificed, — a result which is certainly not now demauded, nor could it be justified ,by the circumstances of the Colony, We do not know to what extent the Government propose to set apart por- j

tions of the reserves 'few ktindred^ bull it appears to us tnat for settlement of that description considerable provision should be made in the neighbourhood of centres of population. There is, or there has been, a good deal of small unauthorised settlement going on in, country districts;' that is, persons have been from time to, time flowed, to occupy by consent , of the , Crown tenant' small seotions of i from .10 to 50 acres, which are valuable in 'so far as they, enable dairy and other cattle to be kept secure from molestation.' • Ndw that pastoral, rents , are so high: settled ment of this description will doubtless cease ;. but scope for authorised ocpupation for .similar purposes and to like extent might' be- given by the declaration of hundreds on portions of the reserves suitable for the' purpose, within which a certain proportion of the sections could be laid off small enough to meet the requirements of persons such.' as, we ;haye indicated. : , , t , j ,' f [ v .. , ' What is wanted, in short, is that (thelands reserved ' should, as far a"s '^they, go, be dealt wdthin'such a inannerW if possible to offer facility of acquisition 1 not to one particular, class, but to, eye^y; variety of settler! We by no meaus wish to see the pastoral deferred-pay-ment system abolished, <;but, ,we, think; that it should 1 be 1 accompanied ■by some other form of settlement-^some-thing similar to the goldfields agricultural leases— which, while it would give free scope for the acquisition of moderate freeholds by all classes, would still, sufficiently guard against monopoly, by r regulations enforcing distinct and separate enclosure and 1 other 1 improve* menfcs. There is/as we Have already; said, plenty of time for legislation 4^ before these lands have to be. Jealt with j and such being the case, .it is very; desirable that .public a^tentio.n ."sh'ouJdj be drawn .to the subject before JRarlia? ment meets. ».-,••,' > -v, i - ' '