PASTORAL LANDS

Otago Witness, Issue 3448, 13 April 1920, Page 10

PASTORAL LANDS

SOUTHERN COMMISSION APPOINTED. OTAGO ITINERARY. The Commissioner of Lands for the Otago district (Mr R. T. Sadd) has' informed us that the Governor-General has appointed the Southern Lands Pastoral Commission. The members are: Mr Sadd (chairman); Mr W. B. Buokhurst, land valuer, of Christchurch; Mr Leonard Cockayne, scientist; Mr D. Jardine, pastoralist, of Birchwood; Mr R. Scott, farmer, of Kyeburn; Mr Archibald MTnnes, farmer, of Otiake; and Mr Charles Todd, chairman of the Otago Expansion League. The business of the commission is to inquire into and report upon: The present tenures under which the said lands are held, and whether they are in the best interests of the State and of the tenants. Whether they should be amended; and, if so, in what direction. Tlie conditions now existing regarding the occupation, cultivation, and stocking of the said lands, and the improvements which may be and are effected by tenants and for which valuation is allowed under the existing conditions of the Land Act, 1908, and its amendments, or any previous Land Act under which the said lands may be held. Any steps that should be taken to further subdivide the areas in which the said lands are held and to prevent undue aggregation thereof. The causes of the deterioration or depletion of the grass lands; the best methods of regrassing the depleted areas, either by surface sowing or by spelling to allow of the regrowth of natural grasses, or by other means. The present condition of the sheep runs with regard to producing winter feed, and the methods (if any) which should be undertaken to encourage more extensive cultivation on suitable parts of such runs. The best utilisation of the water supply for lands situated in areas where the rainfall is especially low, and whether it is desirable that expert inquiry shoiild be made into the supply of additional water either by means of races or otherwise for the purpose of irrigation. Whether the burning of tussock land is desirable; and, if so, under what circumstances. Mr A. D. M'Gavock, who was recently chief clerk at Dunedin, has been appointed secretary to the commission, and he has come down to make arrangements. The commission propose to hold a pre-" liminary sitting- at the Land Board office in- Dunedin next Tuesday morning; proceed to Invercargill on the 14th, and sit there for two days; then go to Manapouri, Lumsden, Queenstown, Gore, Waijcaia, and Tapamii; then return to Dunedin : afterwards proceed to Central Otago, going as far as Pembroke; afterwards to Dunedin again, and then to Oamaru. The Otago itinerary

is expected to finish about Kay 11, after which the Canterbury district will be visited.