Leasing the West Coast Mountains.

Otago Witness, Issue 2085, 8 February 1894, Page 13

Leasing the West Coast Mountains.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — I am very glad to see your paper has been drawing attention to the attempt on the part of the Government to lease the West Coast mountains "for pastoral purposes"; from the Waiau and Lakes Manapouri and Te Anau on one side to the Sounds on the other side— —about 900,000 acres— for £89 per annum ! No doubt ifc would look very well in the statistics of the colony to show an increase of " settlement" to this extent, but fortunately no one is likely to take tip any of these " runs," especially while a large area of truly pastoral country at Lake Wakatipu and elsewhere is going a-begging. Surely the heads of the department, er the Southland Land Board, or the Minister for Lands, or whoever else may be responsible for offering these new runs, must be unaware that (1) only the tops of these mountains, above the bush line, are in any sense of the word pastoral country ; (2) that these tops are purely "summer country," and therefore useless without a corresponding area of " winter country " ; (3) that, in order to use even this summer country, long and expensive tracks would have to be cub through the bush to each mountain top; (4) and that as these tracks have to be cut of considerable width and up the driest spurs, the felled trees make grand starting places for bush fires in a dry summer. Some people say this bush will not burn, but the surveyors who burnt the "Monument" at Lake Manapouri, in November 1892, could disabuse their minds of this erroneous opinion. I have hinted that no sane man would take up any of this country " for pastoral purposes " ; but as some men are not quite sane, and as some others might take up some of it for purposes not strictly pastoral, it would be much safer for the Government to withdraw all these new runs from application at once.

It seems to me that the Government can only desire to treat this West Coast country either in an aesthetic or in a utilitarian manner. In the former case all they have to do is to leave it severely alone (first recalling, say, by a notice in the Gazette, all the ferrets they insisted on turning out across the lakes) and to try and make other people leave it alone. If, however, they wish to make these mountains bring in as much hard cash to the colony as possible, they should stock the tops with chamois from Europe, or ibex from the Himalayas, or wild goats from the Rocky Mountains. They would thrive there amazingly and would do no harm to native flora or fauna, nor yet to the scenery. A dozen head would do for a beginning, and no doubt the acclimatisation societies would assist to procure them. Then stock the rivers and lakes with salmon and "leave the rest to nature." That is the way to make these assets of New Zealand pay, for at least a dozen Englishmen will travel round the world for sport for every one who will come for "scenery-hunting" only. — I am, &c, January 31. M.