UNSATISFACTORY ARRANGEMENTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2666, 19 April 1905, Page 15

UNSATISFACTORY ARRANGEMENTS.

PLEASANT POINT, April " 7. The proceedings of the commission are beginning to border on the farcical. Though two nights were spent at Fairlie only tAvo witnesses were examined there, and afterwards in committee, in which individual members state the commission was not altogether a happy family, for fully an hour was spent in a mild wrangling about minutes and the arrangements, or. rather, the want of arrangements, in connection with the tour through the district, which was not at all well planned. The accommodation at Fairlie was very severely taxed, as many as three persons having to sleep in one room. The two local hotelkeepers, however, did all in their power to make members as comfortable as possible. This morning there was a decided vagueness about the arrangements for the day. The majority of the commission started in a thick foa- on a drive from Fairlie to Albury. Two commissioners, the press representatives, and four members of the staff came on by train. We could gain no definite information as to whether we could get accommodation for the night at the next stopping place (Pleasant Point), or whether we could rely upon getting into Timaru in the evening. Under the circumstances, two of the commissioners, disgusted with the want of definite arrangements, wisely left for Timaru, thus missing the two meetings at Albury and Pleasant Point. • Arrived at Albury, we found that no arrangements had been made for a hall, but an interview with the local schoolmaster iesulted in a room in the public school being placed at the disposal of the commission. In order to arrange this, the teachers had to take one class into a shelter shed in the school ground. It -was also mentioned that as the school funds were very low a fee of ten shillings from the commission would not come amiss. We learned that a meeting of Crown tenants had been held in the locality to decide upon giving evidence, but that it had broken up without eomin-g to any definite decision. At 20 minutes nast 10 the coni-

<f mission went to take the Albury evidence. 1 John Soott Rutherford said he held the 3 Mistake Run, of 62,000 Veres, in the Maci kc-nzie Country. Some 32,000 acres was t grass land, the rest practically barren. He 1 had also a lease in perpetuity at Chambcr3 lain. He advocated a longer lease, surface , sowing on the runs, and planting of tives b for sheltei*. He thought in some cases the natural pastures were going back. Lale j burning was largely responsible for this. > Spelling would result in an improvement. The Mackenzie Country could only bo 5 worked in large holdings. The lesses were ; so great in some winters that only a oapii talist could stand them. The local Crown 1 settlements were prosperous. Some tenants were agitating for the freehold, but most E were contented with the leasehold. The I ranger did not harass, the settlers; in > fact, witness thought he should be round j a little oftener. If concessions were made in the cropping regulations there was i danger that the ground would be worked I out. [ Isaac Curtis, a Crown tenant on the ; Albury Settlement, objected to the cropping restrictions and the flooding of his • land, which drowned hundreds of his sheep. I He favoured the freehold options because he did not thinic a Government lease wa.s ! worth the paper it was written on A Covernment could pass any act it liked. He complained of the Advances to Settlers Department. It took him six months to get a small loan. Witness was paying too much rent. In regard to the freehold, witness was not speaking for himself alone. He knew several who wanted the opt;on to purchase fcheir properties. Californian thistle was very bad on his section when he took it up. He was getting rid of it by growing mangels and turnips and hoeing the thistles out. Henry Kidd, holder of a grazing section on lease in perpetuity, said he was well pleased with his tenure. He advocated a continuation of the land for settlements .policy. It would be dishonouring Sir John M'Kenzie's name to alter this. Settlers should have a free hand in cropping, as the land in the district was full of yarr and couch grass. He thought that settlers were like the Children of Israel going to the Promised Land : thoy were always crying out for something more. They should be satisfied with their present prosperity. [ It was a great mistake that the commission ' did not take a tour through the settlement in which his land was. Ragwe-en was spreading on the road' in the district, and the County Council was shutting its eyes to the fact. It was a different ragweed from that in Southland, and was worse than the Californian thistle. Though he said it was I a shame to alter th© act in any. way, he admitted afterwards that he wanted it altered himself in regard to cropping ; also, though he belauded the late Sir John M'Kenzie, he was opposed to his Fair Rent i Bill. Thomas Robertson, holder of a small j grazing run, said valuation for grassing should be regulated according to the increased carrying capacity of the runs. James M'Cort. farmer on Albury settlement, thought the cropping restrictions should be modified. Owing to the wet • seasons he had worked 70 acres of his land j for three years without getting- anything from it. From all he heard from the settlers in the district, the Advances to Settlers Department was likely to be- a failure, as it would not advance enough money. He was satisfied with the lease-in-p^rpetuity tenure. Some of the farms in the settlement -wero too small, and a number had been grouped. He wanted the rebate for rent extended for six months. The Chairman suggested that witness should not look a gift horse too much in the mouth. ' - "The commission closed its sittings at about half-past 12. Afterwards amongst a number of settlers present there was some dissatisfaction expressed that they did not get a j *nearing. The chairman, however, before closing the meeting had invited airyone present to give evidence. One settler who had driven in post haste only to find the meeting at an end complained that although the Albury settlers had been talking in favour of the freehold a few days ago they now appeared to have gone back on their expressed opinions. TIMARU, April 7. The commission reached Pleasant Point at half-past 3. discussed the minutes of a previous meeting, and then kicked its heels in idlenes? till dinner time. A meeting was advertised for the evening, 'but two or three intending witnesses were a little late in--appearing, on the scene, and the commission drove into Timaru without taking any evidence. The iourney of 13 miles was made in the dark, Timaru being reached at 8 p.m. Evidence will be taken here tomorrow.