Poverty Bay Herald.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5709, 4 March 1890, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald.

PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISHOUNE, TUE^AY, -MARCH 4, 1390.

OPENING UP THE LANDS

Foil some time back a nmfiber of people in North Ofcago , have been in a state of ferment over the disposal of Crown lands. The- Hon. Me Ridhardson is the aversion of' Hie agitators. They call him a Tory and a friend of the monopolists. Very probably the abuse of the present land administration is not unmixed with political reasons ; it is hard for the Opposition •to see any merit in the Ministry. But we take it that there is considerable, dissatisfaction in North Otago with the method of dealing with the public estate. It is impossible to please everybody, and Mr Riuhardsoh is in a position Avliere he is called upon to please everybody. Whatever may be the case in the South Island, there is no denying that the land administration of the Government has given satisfaction throughout the North, though here and there a g^owl is raised by disappointed applicants, whioh gives the Opposition press a handle for attacking the Ministry. On the East Coast the Government has endeavored to put as many people as possible on the Crown lands, at the same time having regard to the future comfort of the settlers. It is not at all likely that a different; policy is pursued in the older and more thicklypopulated parts of the colony, where the actions of the Ministry are subject to n stronger public opinion. The more people and the less the quantity of land, the greater the trouble of the Minister in dealing with pastoral country. Were his object to get as much revenue as possible from Crown lands, the problem would be easy of • solution ; but that is a course which it is advisable to adopt only in regard to first-class agricultural land close to market. A public meeting was held in Oamaru a few days ago for the purpose of supporting the settlers of the Kuvow district in their efforts to have the Crown lands in South Canterbury cup up into smaller areas, and more especially in regard to Station Peak run, which embraces an area of 25,000 acres, something more than half the size of Tauwharepare, and with loss carrying capacity per acre. To give an idea of the demand for land in North Otago, it should be only necessary to state that from L 2 10s to L 3 10s per acre is frequently paid to take a single crop off. The carrying capacity of the Station Peak .run was set down by some of the speakers ;it the meeting at one sheep per acre, and little or none of the land is ploughable ; so it is not the kind of couu- ! try for wnich tenants pay as high as L 3 10s per acre. A Mr Atkin, in speaking on the subject of cutting up the Station Peak run,stati_'d his belief that the Government Avas anxious to cut up the run in a manner suited to the greatest good of the greatest number. So far as he know personally the dinicully was to find out vyhich was the best way to deal Avith the land. He had been conversing with sofno of the settlors living in the district, and while one man said the blocks must not be more than 600 acres, another said he uould not live on less than 1000, while another asserted that it required 5000 acres of such land for a family. So long as such a division of opinion existed among those who were supposed to know because living on the spot, how was Government to judge 1 What he had said to a settler'AViis " By all means be unanimous." They should be agreed as to the area a man could live on, and then act with unanimity in going to the Government with their requirements. The above is sound advice, though there would most likely be extreme difficulty in inducing people to arrive at an agreement on the subject. Yet Mr Hichardson is' supposed to be able to please all jMivfcies if he liked. His position is assuredly not a bed of roses. There are few men in the country who have so extensive an acquaintance with the land question, and the bent of his mind is eminently practical. There arc many things to be taken into consideration which are lost sight of by the general run of people. Mr Duncan, M.H.R., stated at the meeting that he had ridden over the Station Peak run with the Commissioners appointed by the Government to report upon the best method of dealing with it. It would, said Mr Duncan, carry a sheep to the acre, " and in the lower portion the aheep^were always able to live in winter time. None had been known to perish there. He did not believe there was any land tit for ploughing in the portion proposed to be dwelt with." The foregoing extract will give a tolerably fair idea of the country which Rome people in North Otago allege is suitable for q}ose settlement. Land of that kind, covered with snow a portion of the year, avouUl go begging on the East Coast. The Government mny well hesitate before cutting it into small areas of a few hundred acres each. * One speaker at the meeting said that men were going up and down the country searching for suitable land, but they could not find it. Scores come to the colony with money in their pockets looking in vain for land. Cases had come under his notice where men had come in at the Bluff and gone out at Auckland Without being able to get a bit of land suitable for their requirements, and often spending fully L2OO in going over the country. These parties must be hard to suit. For years past there have been complaints about land being. a. drug in the market. Perhaps, intending i investors from Australia expected to buy land in New Zealand by the square league at a nominal price per acre. A glance at the papers published in the big towns will- show that large aroas of land in all directions are obtainable from private vendors. Coming back to the Station Peak run, of which so much fuss is being made, it was proposed that tho Government should cut it up into small areas, and then open it for selection on lease for 42 years. Mr Hislop, the member for Qanin.ru; was addressed on tho subject. <-nIIe did nqt agree \v\bty ttye siig- ' gestion. . He objected to tie the land up for such a long period, and declared himself in favor of a portion, being divided into five runs and put up for selection at the expiry of the present leases, and reserving the balance for another year. In that way he believed the interests of settlement would be best served. There is ik. doubt that. Mr Hislop speaks tho wind of his colleagues, so tlierei is no

foundation for the allegation that the Government intend to fuvor land monopolies in dealing with tho Station Peak run. The Borough Counoil meets this evening. Tenders closs to-morrow for fencing at Tinitoto. At the meeting of the Union Chess Club last night. tlfere was a full attendance, and it was arranged that the night of meeting should be altered for the future to Tuesday, in lieu of Monday. An essay on "Oliver Wendell Tlotmus " was read at the Mutual Improvement Society last night by VI r H. T. Brewer. The essay was intended to form uu introduction to the study of the author's works, and wets illustrated by poems which were read by the e3sayist..and other members. This" evening the Australian Amazons again appear in the Theatre Royal, with a complete change of programme. It is the endeavor of this company to give good honest value for the admission fee, and they provide a very entertaining performance. There should be a. large attendance this evening. The prices have been lowered to 2s and Is. Mr Loudon has received a telegram from Mr A. Barron, secretary of the Wellington j Bowling Club, stating that it is proposed to hold a series of bowling matches at Wellington at Kastor, when prizes of about L2O will be {offered, and contested for between teams from the North Islam! and Nelson only. They would be glad if the Gisborne Club could send a rink. This evening is published the programme of a concert to b« held at Patutuhion Thursday evening next in uid of the funds of the Patntahi School. The programme is an exceedingly good one and contains some of the highest talent in the district. The night will be a moonlight one, and a, brake will leave town for the entertainment, which will conclude with a dance. The Gishorne Fire Brigade telim have greatly enjoyed their stay in Wellington so far. Last night they joined in the torchlight procession, which was a grand success. This evening they will be entertained at the Working Men's Club. On Wednesday c ■ Piling a visit will be paid to Messrs Widths' encus, and on Thursday the presentation of prizes and smoke co. cert tendered in honor of the visiting teams will be atteuded. A week or so ago, the case of Common, She! ton, and Co. v. the Colonial Union Steamship Company was adjourned for Mr Booth, R. M., to consider a nonsuit point raised ny Mr Sievwrigiifc for the defendants. The point was that under the charter party between defendant company and the owners of the ship Clairmont, in which plaintiffs' goods were shipped, defendants were relieved from liability, and the owners of the ship wore the proper person- to bo siifd. His Worship yesterday ovo-.uiled the nonsuit point, and the case will go on on March 17. A. o:ise Ponsford \\ W. Braasey, claim C'2.l 2s on a dishonored promissory note, was before tho R. M Court yesterdciy afternoon. >.Ir Booth, R M., said he had received a i letter from defendant asking for a further adjournment, as he would be in Gisborne next week. As plenty of opportunity had been given defendant to defend, judgment was delivered for plaintiff by default. Attention is called to tho notice in tonight's issue of the St. Patrick's Ball to be held in the City Rink on St. Patrick's Day, 17th Vl arch. At a meeting of the committee held last evening Messrs W. Parnell and W. O. Skect were appointed Hon Secretaries, and they arc now busily engaged in issuing | the invitations, which will be delivered in a few days. As the St Patrick's Ball has now become an annual affair there is sure to be a, big attendance, especially this year, as it will be a nice finishing up after the sports to be- held at the Park grounds on the same d»yThe P.il. Rowing Club's representative crows met last evening at .the shed, and decided to row for the trophies presented by Messrs Tucker, Joyce, and Harding to. the winners, and by Air S. MoLernon to the losers, on Thursday, March 20. The course will be tivo miles, and the finish at the Gisborne. Club's shed. The crews are as' follows : — Auckland representatives —W. Walters (stroke), W. Marshall (3), E. Hansen (2), J. Walters (how) ; Napier representatives— Nisbet (stroke), A. Sawyer (3), G Richardson (2), T. Leslie (bow) The race is considered a very even one, and both crews having a great number of admirers, there is sure to be a large attendance of the public to witness what is certain to prove a very exciting contest, and worth going a long way to see