THE OTAGO RUNS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2740, 4 January 1882, Page 2

THE OTAGO RUNS.

, Mr StO'ut is reported by'the “ Morning Herald” to have spoken as follows at the;meeting which was held at Dunedin recently to-discuss the question ofdealjug with the Otago leases :yr‘‘ It was proposed by the Government to lease the 3,000,000 acres of land, the leases of jwhich shortly expire. On the manner of the disposal of that land our future prosperity depended. He would adduce a few reasons shpwiqg why the course adopted by the Government would rot be in accordance with the public interest. He disagreed with the statement that when all the land was alienated the land question ■ Swould ; ' cease., If was only when all the land had got into priva|e hande-that the real'land question began. s It was when one class was called upon to pay rent to another that they-began to enquire iptb. ofnthe receivers.. He believed ’ithat within a not very distant period, would reverse its policy of complete alienation of the pu blie festate. > - Possibly the nationalisation of the land was not yet within the sphere of practical politics, bnt nevertheless in dealing with all questions'affecting the land it should be kept before tbem as 'ah ideal. Mr Stout proceeded to show that land stood in a wholly different position to other property, apd said if' the principle of nationalisation of the land was wrong all interference • by tlie State in the disposition of. the land was unjustifiable Although'direct nationalisation of the land might be at present impracticable, the principle should be kept before them as an ideal—as a guiding principle in all matters affecting the legislation regard- , ing the land. Although the question might be opt of the sphere of practical politics flow,’ prbsfent action concerning the subject could .be based to a certain extent upon the assumption that, at a future time it would , be within that sphere. We should so. deal with the land as a whole that the whole State would be benefitted byi it,- and not merely a single class. Tn connection with the disposal of the lands, 1 he would point out several defects in the present Land Act, and itWas bur duty as citizens to agitate until we, got proved wrongs remedied. . ! Mr Stout then showed' by, quotations from the, Lapd Act that there is no power ,to prevents man taking up a number of the subdivided runs, and a .further difficulty was that a buyer had to buy the lease and pay a year’s rent /, before he got possession, and had also to pay an indefinite amount fpr improvements. These circumstances gave the present holder an enormous advantage, as had been proved in the past. If a man judiciously selected the 320 acres on each of tho subdivided runs, ho might buy up all the water on them, and . the only ground available for sheepyards, &c., and thus make the remainder of the - ground useless to. others.'- The resolution he would move was as fdl lows :—“ That in the opinion of this meeting it is necessary before the rims are re-leased that alterations should be made in the Land Act; and this meeting respectfully urges the Government to postpone tho leasing of tho runs that may .now be re-leased till the whole question of dealing : with the pastoral lands of Otago can be further considered.” It must be remembered we wore dealing with an area' as large as many colonies, and this showed the vast importance of the subject. The land comprised a district that must ’sooubo opened up by railways, and the action of tho Government should be influenced by that fact. In dealing with the runs the Govommeut should consider tho

subject of the Otago Central Railway, as that line would great!}' increase the facilities for getting the. produce of settlers to; .market. The meeting was not held with any political feeling whatever, but solely to express an opinion on a subject’ in which we were all Interested, irrespective of parties. ,-IE it ;was ‘&id the present law must be obeyed wh} r should there not be a short special session to amend that law? The question was of an importance ample to justify that course, being of far greater weight than the majority of subjects dealt with by Pnrliathcht. .- He; heldj ' however, that there was ample provision in the present Act’ to permit of'"the' delay asked for on the part •of the Government, but if Parliament were limited to this ono question in a special meeting called, it cduld be discussed and dealt within a most effectual manner.