BLACKS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1048, 19 May 1882, Page 3

BLACKS.

(From our own Correspondent) _ . ( Large sales of cattle are announced in this locality, being the result of clearing the runs ; but unless buyers from a distance turn up or the runholders themselves become purchasers there are slight prospects of many of them changing hands at the present time for the simple reason that there is no place to put them. That the present state of affairs with stock-owners would come sooner or later has long been manifest, and by united action there might have been a possibility of considerably improving their present position. For instance, the lease of the run 224, or what was originally known as Blacks Station, expired in March last, and was secured by the present holders for another year. This run has now been withdrawn for the purpose of being cut-up according to the recommendation of Messrs Clark and Green into 1050 and 2000 acresections, and leased for a term of ten years. Though there are decided objections against this mode of dealing with the land, which I shall notice further on, in the meantime 1 may say that a little foresight and united action might have been able to have withdrawn this run when the lease expired, instead of allowing it to go to the original holder during the year which will be most pressing on those who have been rearing more stock than their holdin would keep. It has been stated that the Commissioners deserved an expression of opinion from the Ida Valley settlers as to the mode of dealing with this land, which I believe I am not wrong in stating had been reserved to meet their views in desiring to ho placed, in the position of combining pastural with agricultural pursuits. I do not know if the proposed mode of dealing with the land is what they recommended or not.; but if it is the matter had better bo reconsidered. When wo hoar of dummyism being practised to a considerable extent with deferredpayment pastoral allotments, how will it be with the leasing when there will be no need for dummyism. Unless special legislation is brought to bear on the matter the cutting up of this tun into sections will be a like farce to the sub-dividing of the larger runs. The man who is in a position to take up the whole or a number of the sections has a forefold advantage over the man only able to take one. But confine even a holder to one leasehold, it is not every settler who is in a position to take up and fence 1000 acres, however much he may desire it; certainly something might be done in the way of amalgamation, but that is not always satisfactory. Placing the allotments under the deferred-pajment pastoral regulations is t amraelled with the objection that the land may prove auriferous, and on this subject legislation should be brought to bear at once if it is desirable to settle small pastoral holders in -he interior of Otago on a footing Utwill bo acceptable to the mining comor those interested in mining prosperity. There must be provision made to allow the miner free ingress and egress to search for and prosecute goldmining over all pastoral holdings. Limitation of area and tixify of tenure must also he clearly defined, else snia’l pastoral holdings will get swallowed up by their larger neighbours. Small pastoral holdings eith-r as runs or on deferred payment are [unpopular through the bugbear that they would conflict with the mining interest, not only in the way of searching and mining for gold, but also affording less scope for securing the privilege of running a horse or cow ; and unless legislature steps in and covers the difficulty, small pastoral holdings may be set down as a thing undesirable The screw now being put on by the large holders, may turn the attention of miners and residents on the gob fields to seek for a legalised right to graze a few head of cattle without being beholden to any. In isolated cases by taking advantage of the Mines Act, and securing holdings around their dwellings, and where they are grouped together this may be done by striving to got reserves set apart tor the purpose. This leads me to notice another matter connected with the disposal of the land in question. This block is the only one availa >le that can bo applied to the purpose of a commonage for the use of the residents in and around Blacks, and for supplying a grazing right to the settlors in the Ida Valley not in a position to obtain holding or take up a lease of a section of the land. It is then for those to consider the position they will bo placed in if the whole of this block fall into the hands of one or two or into the many for ton years, to thorn the difference will be slight, no matter who (lie occupiers, grazing stock on it will he a foregone conclusion if no commonage or reserve is made. A combined expression of opinion of the Blacks and Ida Valley residents should be at once obtained and if a change from the proposed mode of dealing with the laud is desirable it should form the subject of a memnral at once.