Land Settlement' in Central Otago,

Otago Witness, Issue 2263, 15 July 1897, Page 34

Land Settlement' in Central Otago,

t6 the bditok. Sir, — Allow me space for a few remarks about laud for settlement in Central O.ago— viz., land surveyed in sni.ill grazing runs — and the excessive vents levied by the laud commissioners, as by tho report furnished to the Land Bjard a few weeks ago muss be evident to any person acquainted with former rents levied on the same lands. The report to the Land Board, as it appeared in the Witness, gives 6d or 7d per acre. Now I would ask if a man taking up a smalt grazing run at 6.i or 7d per acre can compete with a man holding some thousands of acres of Und of equal quality at, cay, 2d or 4i psr acre, as is the case in the present instance. The man holding thousands of acres of laud has the additional advantage of having no improvements at all to furnish compared with the snull grazing runholder. The small grazing runholder has to fence his run, and in one year must have improvements equal to one year's rent, and still our Libaral Government want psople to settle on the land and want the poor struggling settlers to pay 6 A or 7d per acre. I say the_ Government dp not want people on tho land, or if they do want psople to take up land and make bona fide settlement. Government . should put a lower rent on the land already surveyed for settlement in Ida Valley. I cannot see that the mere act of surveying this land can enhance its value so much now in comparison with what it was worth when the late lessee (Mr Ball) had it from the Crown at about 4d per acre —I am, etc., A Lover of Fair Play. | Ida Valley, July 12. _ I