THE MACKENZIE RUNS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14363, 8 February 1911, Page 2

THE MACKENZIE RUNS.

LAND liOjUi-Ub itKGUJjA'iIONS. THJi POSITION iJU'UOViiD. ' Soon !>y a _"Hcruljl" rcporter on LUw subject ot i/uo Macron-h'.-i-übs, AlrCraigio, M.P., said lio was pleased to aco tho Land 13i>ard intruded to bo more reasonablo 111 otuling witii applicants tor tlio subdn isioiiii than appeared irom tho uccount ot' their meeting telegraphed from Cliristchurcli oil Thursday hust. 1 c now appeared that the Board into tided to .deal with each _ applicant oil liis merits, which was as ic should he, and a very different thing from requiring each one to show seven years' rent i.» advance. In his opinion, if an applicant could show that ho was a man or practical experience with such country aid with sheep, that should counb Hi an asset of almost as much valuo no capital, although of course it would b; necessary to show K»#me capital also, though not as much as a man who wns without experience of dealing. with sheep on high country. An applicant possessed of good judgment and experience would ho possessed of two very pood qualifications. The Board proposed to ticcept a man who could show £SOO of his own if ho could bring proof that he could sat.i.sfitctcrily finance the remainder, and that seemed fair enough. It was evident that the Mackenzie was not a. poor man's country, a little capital was absolutely essential to work it; and if a man went in with too little and had to face a snow storm the first year the probabilities were that lie would be ruined. The average rent of the runs was about £2OO a year, but in addition to thai there would ho eonsiderablu oxpenso m stocking, fencing and Luikling, and a man witii only a little capital wight hud some difliculty in k«ettiii£; iinauiL-cd (Except at a very high rate of interest), He had been informed that the tindncial institutions would be very wary in making advances on the runs unless very goud frvcurity could by offered. If a tenant Cv-uld make sure of having two or three good years to start with, he would bo in a position to stand a snow storm, and if tenants with little money could get some one to lack them financially for that period tliev would bo enabled to got a good start. Tbo Land Board now said that if an ap- ; plicant had £SOO of -his own and could ; provo that he could financo tho remainder they would accept Liui. This would enable a young man with little caoital whoso father or friends were willing to assist him, to npply; or it would admit shepherds and oiliers who had saved a little money and who had some one to assist thorn, financially That,, he thought, was as it should bs, and lie was glad that the* Land Board had made this explanation.