EVIDENCE AT NASEBY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2663, 29 March 1905, Page 15

EVIDENCE AT NASEBY.

In the afternoon the commission visited the State nursery- at Ranfnr I}'.1 }'. and returned to Naseby at 4 o'clock, when a sitting was held in tho courthouse.

_James Brown, qcneral storekeeper, Naseby, thought -cloctne land boards would be preferable to nominated lo\icl». He considered the tenure that would be most satisfactory to settlers -was a small freehold, say, from 50 to 300 aores, combined with a leasehold to carry 500 to 1000 sheep. If water was conserved by dams there would bo sufficient for the district, though in dry seasons there would, no doubt, be a scarcity. A petition -nent round the district six months ago for sionntnrra for the cutting up of Kyoburn up The. miners had an obiert'on to the rcotil'on. because if the lend fell into the hands of fanners their mining operations might be blooked. The p.-tition ira? not p'cs^niecl to the board. The miners feared llieir outlet would bo

blocked. There had been trouble bctvrean miners and farmers in Home Gully, whore there ■ner-e three of tour elevating claims at work. He understood tho parties had come to terms. The demand for land in the district was considerably gieater than the supply. He did not know how many signatures were placed on the petition. If the Ks'eburn run were subdivided ho saw no rea«on why miners and farmers should not work amicably together.

James Lobb, hotclkeeper, Naseby, spoke of his experience in keeping down rabb.ts. The railway seemed to ha-,e made a great difference to tho pest. It gave access to the trappers to send the rabbits to Dunodin, whence they A\cre sent to London. When the railway reached Weddeibuin rabbits were worth 4d each, and trappeis did c^eiything they could to secure big returns. The grass in Maniototo was baie 10 years ago, but since the rabbits had decreased in number it had recovered. The land on Maniototo Plain had increased in price by from £1 to £2 per acre. The price of rabbits had gone down now, and tivppers did not. seem at all anxious to start work. If they carried rabbits free it would encourage trappers and benefit the country. He thought rabbits wore increasing on the plain. Th«re were more there now than there were a few years a°ro

James Robert Kiik, solicitor, said he had some experience in regard to the Advance to Settlers Office. He thought if the Government were to advance three-fifths of the tenant's interest in his improvements, not only improvements but his interest in his goodwill, they would be running no unnecessary/ risks. He thought applicants for land haa confidence in the ballot system. He regarded the present constitution of the Land Boards as satisfactory, though there was a feeling that Otago Central should have a representative on the board. He had found the Otago Land Board gave every consideration to Crown tenants. The vahie of land was inoreasine- in the district, both leasehold and freehold. While many members of one family held different blocks of land there was no aggregation generally of estates going on. Money-lenders, as a whole, preferred the freehold, but the lease in perpetuity, he thought, was equivalent to a freehold. The Land Board was quite capable of dealing with many matters that now went to Wellington. He thought the freehold was more likely to give a contented people than the leasehold. Bernard Gordon, mail contractor, thought the Advances to Settlers Office should pve more encouragement to lessees than at present. The leasehold system was better for tho country than the freehold. Robert Johnston, miner and farmer, Blackstone Hill, said he had been in the district since 1863. At one time he was a water-race proprietor. He favoured the present constitution of land boards, the members to be representative of the differtnt parts of the district. The ballot system was all right, but there was not enough land being opened for the people. Irrigation would greatly improve much of the Maniototo Plain. He had known good grass to grow on tailings. There weie 120 applicants for some of the sections at Patearoa. He thought some of the large runs might be grassed by sowing couch grass in spring. In answer to questions, witness said he did not know whether Linburn Station could be cut up for settlement, but he -would like to know why the lease was renewed for 21 years in face of a petition signed by half the people on the plain asking that the run should be cut up. The owner was Mr Watson Shennan.

In the evening evidence was given by Robert S. Inder, butcher, who said he favoured the freehold tenure, which gave a man an incentive to work on his land. He favoured nominated land boards. If boards were elective it would be possible for little cliques who wanted to get their candidate elected to work up an interest in the election, and so get their representative appointed, as had been done in the past in conection with Hospital and Charitable Aid Board elections. There was a groat demand for land in the district, as was shown by the large number of applications fo£ Pateai-oa and Highfield sections.

To-morrow the commiaion proceeds to Waipiata, where it is to be interviewed by representatives of the local Farmers' Union.