THE CANTERBURY RUNS

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14359, 3 February 1911, Page 5

THE CANTERBURY RUNS

THE MAPS ARE ISSUED. , Tii© plana of the Canterbury runs that ara to be disposed of tiii> mouth, are seven large sheets, that must liave cost a year's rent of one of the runs •to print-. Tiiere have been many applicants for 'copies at the local Land Office. Tiiey appear to be excellent maps of the country concerned, and of adjacent country. The principal of them are on a scale of 2 miles to the inch (one or two 6mall ones 1 mile to the inch) and a good deal of topographical and contour detail is shown. The new run boundaries are well marked in colour, those which are to be leased on application or by ballot in green, those to be sold, by auction in red. It appears that the runs to which the present homesteads are attached are to be sold by auction; and tliat those which, have no homesteads are to be .open to the ballot. At . a glance some of the runs in the Mac- : kezie Country appear to be of very awkward shape. The red and the green _ Sawdon runs, for instance are I each in two blocks joined by narrow necks. Two of the Wolds runs are long narrow strips; the third is like a long leg and long foot, with the leg cut in two and widely separated by a big block of freehold. These, and some others will require a great length of fencing in proportion to their areas. No. 74 Whalesback (green) is of particularly ugly shape, with a big block of freehold in the middle of it and one margin castellated, so to speak, with freeholds. TJiose who . remember- the fuss_ that was made "veal's ago about "gridironing" will smile when they see how the frontage of Glentanner run lias been secured by the purchase of about 30 small sections—2o acres*prfibi ably. Ihis is the onJy case of the kind i indicated in these maps, and it may [ bo taken as an expression of opinion of the value of the rnn by- some earlv lessee. SOME RULES ADOPTED. Per Press Association. an t PHRISTGHURCH. Feb. 2. | Ine Land Board to-day decided, in connection with the Canterbury pastoial runs which are to be disposed of about the end of this month, that applicants may apply for any number of runs.

Runs not- disposed of at tlie first ballot shall be open for application the dav following the ballot. Unless some extraordinaory reason is shown the Board will refuse transfers till the expiration of' two years from the commencement of the lease. Applicants must disclose jthe fact that they possess in cash seven times the amount of the annual rental of the run applied for. A lengthy discussion ensued on the question whether applicants should be restricted to landless persons, and the Commissioner intends obtaining a- decision on the question whether rigid preference is to be given to landless applicants.