EDUCATION RESERVES.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 4978, 10 April 1889, Page 4

EDUCATION RESERVES.

Sib, —As a great deal of interest is taken just now in the matter of the Education Reserves within the South Canterbury district, of which the leases are about falling in, may I be permitted through the medium of your columns to give a precis of correspondence which has passed between myself, as the member in whose electorate several of these reserves are situate, and Mr E. Q-. Stedman, secretary to the Canterbury College Board, and Mr H. H. Pitman, steward of education reserves vested in the Canterbury School Commissioners. Having informed Mr Stedman on the 3rd instant that memorials were in preparation, asking for the subdivision of reserves Nos. 673, 674, and 675, Otaio, that gentleman telegraphed on the following day that he “ regretted to inform me that these particular reserves had been already re-let. I thereupon wrote to Mr Stedman further advising him that memorials were in preparation, asking for the sub-dividing of reserves 1325 and 1201, and expressing the hope that the board would not enter into any arrangements with regard to them until the memorials had been received and considered. On the same dav (sth inst.) I also advised Mr Pitman that memorials, asking for the subdivision of the education reserves vested in the School Commissioners, would be forwarded shortly, i and preferring a similar request. Mr Pitman has replied to day giving the following information: —Reserve 1208, near Pleasant Point, 557 acres.—This has been re-leased (or rather it has been agreed that it shall be re-leased) by arbitration under section 245 of the Land Act, 1886, to the present tenant. Reserve 1123, Waitaki Elat, 1279 acres, is to be sub-divided into three (3) farms. Reserve 1125, Otaio, 1280 acres, now leased to Messrs Bruce and . McLaren, is to be sub-divided into six (6) farms. Reserve 1203 (470 acres), and 1204 (365 acres), 7 miles from Timaru, now leased to Mr John Campbell, is to be subdivided into three (3) farms each. A Government surveyor is now at work making the necessary surveys for these subdivisions. It will be observed that nothing is said about reserve No. 1202 (238 J acres), near Beaoonsfield, now leased jto Mr Robert Campbell, which reserve (as also No. 1201 vested in the College Board), I have been informed that many persons are anxious should bo divided into 20 or 30 acre holdings. For the information of those who may wish to urge the further subdivision of any of the above-mentioned reserves, I may add that the School Commissioners meet on the 16th inst., and will not thereafter again meet for a considerable time, and that therefore any representations which it is desired to lay before that body should be sent forward without any loss of time. I am, &c., W. J. Stewaed. Ashburton, April Bth, 1889. THE RABBIT PENCE; Sib, —We see occasionally in the newspapers doubts expressed regarding the trustworthiness of the new rabbit fence in the Mackenzie Country to prevent the immigration of the silver-grey rabbit into Canterbury. That there should be rabbits to the north side of the fence is the fault of the Government in not mustering them to the south side before erecting the fence. All practical men will admit great difficulty in erecting a fence in such rough country. No practical man would guarantee the fence as an impregnable barrier against all comers. If one hundred rabbits happen by any mischance to get through in a few years, ten hundred thousand may be turned aside towards the south-east again by the fence and the caretakers patrolling the line with dogs, and there seems little doubt Mr Poster will see that they do their .duty. The silver-grey rabbit is already in strong numbers on Akatarana, Black Forest, and Haldon, and within half a mile of the rabbit fence, so that you may guess whether the fence is up a minute too soon. Another objection raised is that the rabbits will travel on the snow and over the fence. There are instances where rabbits have been seen crossing over small patches of snow, but the general experience is that snow in large quantities forms a boundary, and rabbits if caught in a heavy fall of snow will burrow underneath and remain till the ground is clear. They can now be seen on the Southern Alps, near the tops, embedded in'snow waiting for a clearing up. The high snow-covered ranges are a permanent boundary during winter, and with exceptional years the plains below are mostly clear of snow. Is there a shadow of a doubt that the rabbits would not leave the clear country for the pleasure of walking on the snow in search of pastures green ? If they did, their simplicity would soon solve the question. Absolute certainty in dealing with rabbits, like many other tough subjects, is very difficult to obtain. We must, therefore, be guided in forming our opinions by the superior number of probabilities on the one side or the other, and in all judicious decisions the line must bo drawn somewhere. I am, &0., D. G.