South Canterbury Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1889.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 4991, 26 April 1889, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1889.

The Hon. G. F. Richardson, who is now on a visit to his constituency and his rabbit farm, —at all events he grows rabbits on it and has been departmentally ordered to clear them off, —congratulated a meeting of his constituents upon the improvement shown in the demand for land last year, as compared with several previous years. And this was not due, he explained, to the recent boom in produce, for the increased demand had come before the lisein prices. This we may be c.Ttainwill lead to a continuance, if not to a further increase in the demand,and if it all goes well, by this time next year there ought to be a great many more freeholders in South Canterbury than there are at present. It is to be hoped the Lands Department will lose no time in preparing for sale the lands set apart for the purpose, and indicated by deep red patches on the sale plans now on vu w at the I’ailway station. Strike while the iron is hot. People are now encouraged to go in for agriculture by good prices, and like a cute showman at the races |the Department should take the advantage of their opportunity when the faces of the crowd are turned their way.

The so-called perpetual lease system has proved popular. Of 354,000 acres disposed of Q last year, three-fifths were taken up under that system. This goes far to prove that the desire declared to be inherent in a Britisher to obtain a bit of freehold is not so strong as to make, in his eyes, any other form of tenure worthless. Mr Richardson pointed out that the system is mismamed, inasmuch as the so-called perpetual leaseholder can purchase right out at any time if he can raise the means, but ho was disposed to think that the majority would be content with their preemptive right and would continue to pay their five per cent. He suggested that the Act should be amended to permit of such holders paying off a part of capital amount from time to time if they chose, and so reduce their annual charges,thus amalgamating the leasehold and deferred payment systems.

Fok years past we have heard young people scolded for not going on the land. Why don’t you go on the land P Go and subdue the wilderness!—and all that sort of thing. In South Canterbury there was plenty of land, plenty of wilderness, but it was not open for subjugation. Now a number of areas are to be prepared for the process and offered to the subjugators. Our young men, and old ones too, had better, if they can manage it, take a stroll over the country marked by red patches on the map, and look out some nice fat pieces for their own picking when the day of distribution comes. Some of the areas may seem at present far “ out-of-the-way,” but settlement will soon spread out to them. All New Zealand, —the pick of it—was “ inaccessible ” thirty or forty years ago. Even young people can remember when the Ashburton plains were beyond the range of settlement. A few years has brought them far within it.