THE POMAHAKA EXPERIMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12926, 17 March 1906, Page 5

THE POMAHAKA EXPERIMENT.

The grievances of the Government tenants at Pomabal;*. South Gtago, have often been discussed, and the subject is revived in the ** Farmers' Advocateof the 3rd inst. The I'oinshaka Downs settlement (a cot respondent writes) is, I think, pretty well known throughout the island from its having been -so often before the House. Almost, as -sor-n a* it was bought the late Soobie McKearie had his knife into it. .About half the settlement was applied for a-t first.. Then, in order to encourage stulemcnt, Ib*.- late Sir John McKenzie had parts of some vacant sections ploughed. These were eventually taken up and cropped and left. At present there are fifu«a settlers on the place, most of them being original settlers. The vacant flections are let for grazing at, I think, a shilling per acre per «m»w«n The roadicg and surveying of this estate ban caused a deal of dissatisfaction. A't the time **ifi estate was roaded there were at large number of unemployed ia the country, and they were put on to make th« roads witb picks, shovels, and wheelbarrow*. This naturally made the roads very erpensiv*. whilst the suir<y cost something 7a 6d an acre, whereas I am told it ought to have been done for about Is an acre. Now these lease-in■ perpetuity settler* are paying rent on the original cost, of tb# land, phis iht-se heavy extras, for 999 years. This is where the grievance comes in, and several representations have been made to the Minister of Lands to have the cost <r,f the reading and smveying taken off the price of the land, and thus reduce the ice:.