RUNS IN THE SOUTH. (Tribune.)

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 428, 13 February 1875, Page 2

RUNS IN THE SOUTH. ( Tribune. )

Few people in this part of the Colony have any idea of the enormous extent of some individual pastoral holdings — " runs " — in the South. An advertisement in recent southern papers informs us that, " in consequence of a dissolution of partnership," two pastoral properties are for absolute sale presently at Dunedin. These are: Benmore 261,560 acres, and 87,000 sheep ; Galloway, 186,000 acre?, with 105,000 sheep. All the property of one firm — 447,560 acres, or 700 square miles ; peopled by 192,000 sheep and probably not 200 human souls. Berkshire, in England, has an area of 450,000 acres: its population in 187^ was 196,475, and its gross assessed rental £1,47(>4}00. According to its proportional acreage, it ough\t(fc.grow 240,000 of the 30,000,000 sheep grown Xi (S^Lt Britain. It probably keeps 100,000, besides cattle, horses, and crops of food. The total i^nperial taxation of the United Kingdom was (1874)3b0iH^69,000,000 for 33 millions of population, averaging £2 2s. per head : and at that rate Berkshire would contribute £412,000 to the imperial revenue. The total pastoral revenue of Otago (including Southland) for 1873 was £68,000 for 7,267,000 acres : at that rnte, the two runs mentioned would contribute about £4,000 to the territorial re^ enue ; but we doubt whether they are not assessed at less than the average rate per acre of the whole, and some freehold has probably to be deducted ; so that the annual payment might be supposed at, say, £3000, The present taxation of New Zealand General and Provincial (1874), is at thcaverao-e rate of about £5 per head ; to that nearly £1000 must be added for the supposed 200 souls ; say £400<y in all. It is hard to say what the gross yearly income is from, 1 92,000 sheep. Let us put it at 5s per head, — wool, mutton, tallow, and increase together. The yearly private income of the New Zealand Berkshire would thus amount to £48,000 ; its taxation, one-twelfth ; while the imperial taxation of the English county amounts to more than one-third of its rental. Now, let us take an instance from a populous place in New Zealand. The City of Wellington had (1873) a population of 10,496, and the gross annual value of its rateable property was assessed at £77,702. Its annual contribution to the General and Provincial revenues alone would thus be £52,480, or more than two-third^ qf <its annual rental. The proprietor of a large Otagb run is thus four times as well off as tho average citizen of Wellington. It is true that the Berkshire poor-rates amount to 2s 3d in the £, and that other countryrates, tolls, and in towns further rates have to be paid. But the citizen of New Zealand has to pay borough rates of from Is to 2s, and edncation rates 6d in the £. The growers of wool on a run whose arrea is that of an average English ' county, are their o»vn Road Board and local institution ; they pay only what we have noticed. It is quite clear that the consideration of constitutional changes must bring about that of a fairer inc^deitpe of taxation also. Especially the banks, andTpthV moneys lending societies, and individuals who\ imder present circumstances, realise enormous dividends, — a large proportion of them received by absentee shareholders, — will have to contribute to the maintenance of " peace, order, and good government," according to the pecuniary benefit which they derive under the protection of the expenditure devoted to it.