No. 42. RETURN showing particulars relative to the Depasturing of Stock in Dunstan District. (Depasturing Regulations of 23rd June, 1868.)

C—No. 1.

No. 42. Return of StoJk depastured in Dunstan district. i

AiiTiiuK D. Harvey, Receiver of Gold Revenue. Receiver's Office, Clyde, 6th March, 1869.

PART IV.—EVIDENCE TAKEN AT CROMWELL.

Monday, March 1, 18G9.

No. 43. Mr. R. F. Badger being duly sworn, examined: — lam a resident in Cromwell. There have been great complaints of there being no commonage here, and several efforts have been made to obtain it. Some time since a public meeting was called and a Committee formed, who were empowered to take steps to collect funds and prepare a memorial to be forwarded to town by a deputation to the Superintendent. This has not been done. The Committee communicated with the Town Council, who communicated with the Superintendent. Mr. Smitham will inform the Commissioners of the result of that communication There are said to be about 600 head of cattle running on the Flat between this and the Gorge, and from there to the Low Burn, about three and a half miles up the Clutha. These cattle are not permitted to go ou the ranges, but are confined to the flat, all this land belonging to a runholdor, excepting 600 acres, comprising the township. The owners pay £1 a head for the cattle. The desire is to obtain as commonage a block extending from Five Mile Creek (five miles north of this place) across the ranges to the Kirtle Hum, containing perhaps 60,000 acres—all on Mr. Loughnan's Run—and thence by the course of the Kirtle Burn to the Kawarau River, and thence by the ('atlin River to the junction with the Clutha. The cattle belong to miners, dairymen, and some farmers. There are a few belonging to persons in the town— business people. Their wis!i is to keep dairies, some of them. I do not think any of them wish to keep stock simply as stock owners. -Many of them, no doubt, would settle on and cultivate agricultural land if it were to be had. During the time I was canvassing the district for signatures to a petition for extending the Goldfields, several persons enquired of me if it would be possible to obtain land for settlement. This I noticed particularly in the neighbourhood of The Lakes —Lake Hawea more especially—where there is land fit for cultivation. They have made no efforts to acquire land, because they are given to understand they could not get any. They were informed that blocks would have to be thrown open by proclamation, and it was the object of the deputation to get two such blocks thrown open. One was the block at the Hawea Lake, 5000 acres on Mr. M'Lean's Run, and the other somewhere at Mr. Loughnan's Run, between the station and the Nugget Creek. The Government has not been applied to yet to throw open these blocks, but it is intended to apply to them to do so. The land would be taken up, notwithstanding that the right of pasturage over the unoccupied land would remain with the runholder. There was one man, while I was near the Hawea Lake, went into a calculation as to how much he could hold with his wife and four children. He meant to apply in the name of his wife and children. I mention this to show that he wanted to occupy a considerable portion of land, and he had sufficient capital to cultivate it. There is some good land—better than it is here —on Douglas and Alderson's Run, about four miles hence, on the south bank of the Kawarau, under the Carrick Ranges. It is known as the Banmckburn, some ] 2,000 acres of agricultural land. There is also some gx>d agricultural land at the Lindis, on Mr M'Lean's Run, about 13 miles from this, called Lindis Flat—some 20,000 or 80,000 acres —a great portion, land of average quality. lam sure, from my acquaintance with persons in this district, that if available land were open for selection there would be a great deal more undsr cultivation here. I have known many miners, who have made money in this district, go away, because they could obtain no land for settlement, in fact only yesterday there was a inner and his wife, who have been home to England and come back, with the intention of settling in the district if he can find suitable opportunity. About two months ago, two brothers came back from England—one came here to see if he could combine mining with farming, but finding that was not the case, he went away to the West Coast. There is a great deal of land in the Upper Clutha District, which does not pay well for mining, but if farming could be combined with it, it would answer the purpose of the miners to remain. It has been stated to me that the Government was in negotiation for a part of Mr. M'Lean's Run, between Cromwell and Dunstan. But it is the opinion of many persons that, while it would be useful for people in the town, it wculd b useless for the

No. 43. Mr. Badger. Ist March, 1869.

51

LANDS IN OTAGO.

STOCK. No. of Licenses Unissued. Date of Expiration of License. No. of Applicants. Great. Small. No. of Licenses Issued. ■21 MO 1000 16 5 31st March, 1869