The Evening Star MONDAY, APRIL 24, 1876. TO THE WASTE LAND BOARD OF

Evening Star, Issue 4105, 24 April 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, APRIL 24, 1876. TO THE WASTE LAND BOARD OF

OTAGO.

Gentlemen, — You are this week to be asked to sanction the sale of several large blocks of so-called pastoral land, on conditions of price preconcerted between the Provincial Executive and the leaseholders, for the declared purpose of relieving the Provincial Government from debt. In the name, therefore, of the

people of Otago, whose interests it is the duty of this journal to advocate, I protest against the sale for the following reasons x irst - The land agreed by the Executive to be alienated from the Crown is represented ns only suited for pastoral purposes. This is an assumption wholly devoid of evidence, and is based upon the mere fact of its being at the present time in the occupation of the applicants to purchase, who hold it as pastoral les-oes.

Secondly, by alienating the vast area agreed by the Provincial Council to be sold to the lessees, no matter what its real value, the absolute control of it becomes the privilege of the purchasers. The olESßification of land into agricultural and pastoral is vicious in principle, and alike crude and unscientific. It deals with the surface of the soil »and assumes that lauded property is profitable merely because it can be used for grazing or agriculture. It utterly ignores the minerals lying beneath the surface, which developed become sources of wealth so vast, that a fraction of an acre of the area now proposed to be sold, may prove far more valuable than the price to be given for the whole.

Thirdly, although it is customary to estimate the value of pastoral country at much less than agricultural land, it is in those rugged and broken districts, at present fed over by sheep and cattle, that the means of supporting a large industrial population must be sought. not by agriculture and pasture that Great Britain s population is supported, but by mining and manufactures. Nor is it the level districts of Great Britain, covered with rich soil yielding crops of grain, that support the working millions of her populations. They are found congregated in tonus or districts comprising compavalively small aveas in the rushed and mountainous couuti-s where miners! wealth abounds; in Oorn,a'l> Staffordshire, Warwickshire. -ttaHordshiiv. ih“ WVat Riding of Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Xi '.ncas'inu Du'-ham, and Northumberland • in fee m iv famous dislriels of Scotland and WaVs. In

ragged broken country only riio geologist ■ xnoc to mc-.'t with ’•.mentis, as in su 'h dburlc: s -il- ii can their indications be usually observed. Vo eee>. •or mineral woaldi upon a level surface covertf with verdure would be a profitless task, or, if profitable, almost of necessity the result of accident. To convince that thi se facts are true of New Zealand os well as of Great Britain, it is only necessary to appeal to the personal experience of the majority of our fellow-Colonists, many of whom have been enriched by working mines situated in the rugged mountainous districts of Otago.

Fourthly, as no authorised geological survey has been made of the country proposed to be alienated the Board cannot be certain that they ate not handing over land to the purchasers, should consent be given to the sale, that is capable of sustaining a population equal in number to that of Manchester or Birmingham, or some of the densely peopled mining or manufacturing districts of our native country. That this is by no means improbable may be assumed from facts that are continually pressing upon public attention. The latest notice or the development of unsuspected mineral wealth was inserted in the market report of this journal on Saturday, the 15th of this month, in which thp first of produce of the slate quarries on a ragged portion a run was stated to be waiting shipment at Oamaru for conveyance to Dunedin. And further it is known that in different parts of the mountainous districts of Otago valuable lodes of mineral products exist, that only require investment of capital and facility for Transport to give employment to large numbers of people. Still further to press the importance of this consideration upon the Board, although the industry cited, slate-quarrying, has scarcely become known to the public, it is not unfair to draw attention to the fact that prior to these slate quarries being known, this small run could only give employment to very few men, with, perhaps, one or two families, while the number already employed directly in opening the slate quarry be more than twenty; and indirectly, it may is fairly assumed that this fraction of a run supports a population of nearly one hundred, if the women and children dependent upon the laborers, teamsters, road-makers, and others, are taken into the enumeration.

As a necessary and important feature in this illustration, tending to prove the positive evil of parting with the control of land the character of which is unknown, it has come to my knowledge that the chief difficulty tho proprietors of the slate quarry had to contend with was the obstruction thrown In the way of opening up this industry by the lessee of the run. Yonr Board need not be informed on this point, os it is due te your administration of the Waste Lands that this obstruefciveness was over.ruled.

This fact is only one among numbers that could be cited, which have occurred in all countries where pastoral pursuits are followed, showing that pas total lessees oppose mining, and consequently national industrial development on their runs, on the ground that they interfere with their own business, and cause increased outlay in prosecuting it. It is known that both in Victoria and New South Wales, as a consequence of this feeling, servants have been forbidden to publish the finding of gold lest a rush of diggers should take place in that direction.

Having thus presented to your Board several powerful reasons why this sale should not be sanctioned on account of the unknown value of the land, it is of no less importance to consider what privileges would be conceded to the purchasers.

First. They would acquire complete control of the property, for, by purchase of the fee simple, buyers acquire the right to use the laud as they think fit.

Should It be auriferous, in New Zealand they buy the gold; should there be coal, or iron, or other valuable minerals, jt rests with them to work the mines, or p mlt them to be worked or not as they choose. Where the Board would exact a royalty of a few pounds for.the right to work a coal mine, or where a miner’s right would entitle the holder to search for gold in Crown lands, the owners of the properly would only act in accordance with the usages of all landholders by insisting upon a premium of hundreds or even thousands of pounds for allowing others to work o» their land. Bat, even worse than this, they acquire the right to forbid prospecting, and, in this Instance, to apply land equal in area to two-thirds of the country of Rut - land to sheep fanning only. That this is no chimerical objection is proved by the consequences of the sale of the Iglftud Block, and the land in the neighborhood of Mount ganger. Many experieuced men believe that vast quantities (, t gold lie buried in the Island Block, and before the sale were prepared to prospect ic; and there is g>>od reason to believe that gold, and probably qtnep metals and valuable numerals i he in quantities over a large area alienated soma years since near Mount Bonger. The discovery of these, together with extension of the township of Roxburgh, have been closed by the sale of these Innas,

Secondly, by selling the blocks of land proposed, the purchasers would acquire Riparian rights, which at no distant date might be used greatly to the detriment of the interests of the Province, In this journal and the ' Otago Ouaydlan* }t hop been shown that possession of the river frontages virtually renders thousands of acres of back country valueless excepting to the purchasers of those frontages. Possibly, also, through having the power in their hands to prevent the construction of roads, or excepting at the cost or Leary compenr Ration of railroads, industrial settlement, that might otherwise result fpom discoveries in the buck country, may be indefinitely retarded in these districts. Bat apart from this, tfco experience of minors on the Maerowbnnua goldfield, hg l- Ide others in that neighborhood requiring the use of w f 'tepfor their occupations, shows that it if) unwise to part with riparian rights—not to mention, ns up additional example, occurrences at our very doors.

For the reasons that have been given, whatever the need of the Provincial Treasury, it must be plain that it is net for the public interest to sell the land proposed to be parted with. The pfiraary object of selling land should be the permanent settlement of population upon it; but in parting with this vast area, no condition is proposed to be attached binding the purchasers to introduce labor or to invest capital on its improvement. The purchasers need not even feed a single sheep beyond what the country at present carries, the saving of the assessment and grazing rent on which will beoauivaleut to the interest ef the money invested at current rates. There is also the very important consideration that in a very few years the leases will expire, when in all probability even should the land continue to be used as pasture increased rental and assessment may accrue. Not one political consideration has been urged upon you as a Board. The protest presented to you is baaed on purely social and mercantile considerations, by which principles it is expected the Board will alone be guided in deciding whether the disposal of this land “ is likely to be prejur dicial to the public interests.” It might have been urged upon your notice that the application is not in conformity with the Scribed procedure, but tbii fails pecu? y within your province as a Board to deal with. Whatever plea of necessity is^

put forward it must be plain to your Board that to provide money payment of contracts by forced sales of the public estate forms no part of your duty, but that it was mainly to guard against such practices that the control of the Waste Lands was taken from the Provincial Government. It is fortunate that you are to know no party, public or private, in your decisions, and the public look to you therefore to protect their interests. I have the honor to be, Gentlemen, Yours respectfully, The Editor op the * Evening Star.’

We notice by the Nelson papers that Sir David Monro has returned to the Colony. There was a largo attendance at Mr Sykes’s concert at the Temperance Hall on Saturday night, when a capital programme was produced. The feature of the entertainment was Mr Sykes’s legerdermain tricks. The ‘ Nelson Evening Mail ’ is informed that out of the 20,000 shares in the Colonial Bank of New Zealand placed ou the London market, 10,000 were at once disposed of at a premium of from 3s to 4s. The installation of Sir Donald M‘Lean as D.G.M. of Freemasons, E.C., for the North Island takes place on June 26, and invitations have been sent to the D.G.M.’s of Otago, Canterbury, and Westland to attend upon the occasion.

Good Bowlers or Bad Batsmen?— The ‘ Waikato Times ’ gives an interesting report of a cricket match between the Zingari and Borderer clubs. In. their second innings none of the Border men got a run, and their magnificent score of seven was made up of byes ai’d wnlca!

“Susan Hopley,” with Mrs Hill in the f f<V r6lf, Mr Hfceele as William Bean, and Mr Keogh as Dickey Dean, was produced at the Queen’s theatre on Saturday night. There was a capital downstairs attendance. This evening “ East Lynne ” will form the chief attraction. The District Court sat for but a few minutes this morning, when all the cases set down for hearing to-day were postponed Copland’s Trustees 7v. Sims till the 25th inst; Same v. Paxton till the 29th; A. and T. Burt till May 1; and Fitzgerald v. Diamond till May 10.

Doubts having arisen whether the seat of the Hon. John Hall in the Legislative Council had not been vacated in consequence of the permission of the Governor relieving him from giving his attendance at the session of 1874 having been omitted to be signified by the Governor to the Council, as provided by the 36tb section of the Constitution Act, bis Excellency has re-summoned Mr Hall to the Upper Chamber.

The fire-bells rang out an alarm shortly after seven o’clock on Saturday night, the occasion therefor being that flames had been discovered by the night cellarman at the Albion Brewery issuing from Burt and Murdoch’s saw-mill in Cumberland street. The brewery bands were able to extinguish the fire before any damage was done. It originated through some ashes from the furnace getting among some shavings. The Wellington Fire Brigade have decided to send over six men, under the command of Superintendent Whiteford, to represent them at the Ballarat demonstration. Up to the 17th inst. LBO had been received in public subscriptions towards the men’s expenses. The Auckland Brigade received an invitation from the Ballarat Demonstration Committee, but not having sufficient funds, and being a paid body, precluding them from appealing for subscriptions, they are unable to accept it. The concert postponed from Thursday evening took place on Saturday night in the Foresters’ Hall, Port Chalmers. The proceeds were in aid of the Catholic Church

Fund. A capital programme, comprising a duet on the violin and piano by Mr and Mrs Woods, a series of songs, duets, and readings, was gone through to the evident delight of a large audience. The entertainment will no doubt prove a success financially. On the afternoon of the Queen’s Birthday the Grand Lodge of the Independent Order of Oddfellows will dedicate the Leith Lodge’s new hall to the purpose of Oddfellowship with the solemn ceremonies of the Order, upon which occasion the public, (including ladies) are to be admitted free by ticket. P.G.M. Bro. Haggitt and Bro. Stout will address the meeting. In the evening a grand concert and select ball will be held in aid of the building fund. The ‘ Timaru Herald ’ understands that the Government have inflicted a penalty of LI2O on Messrs Allan and Stumbles, the contractors for the Pareora railway contract, in consequence of the work not being completed until neai’ly seven months after contract time. The delay was caused almost entirely through unavoidable circumstances arising, the principal of which were the nondelivery of timber from Australia according to order, and the great inconvenience the contractors were put to through not having an engine at their disposal, as agreed upon between them and the Government. The Hook contract, which is in Mr Proudfoot’s hands, suffered by the delay in the completion of the Pareora ene, and complaints are also made by Mr Proudfoot with respect to not being allowed the use of an engine. At the annual meeting of the Jewish Philanthrophic Society, held in Synagogue Chambers yesterday, the Treasurer (Mr G. Harris) brought up a report which showed the society to be in a flourishing condition. During the past year LlO2 had been exE ended in relief, and a credit balance of 1181 carried forward. The concert a few weeks ago added over LBO to the funds. The election of office-bearers for the ensuing year resulted as follows :—President, Mr M. Joel; treasurer, Mr E. Nathan; hon. secretary, Mr H. Naphtali; committee, Messrs G, Harr's, L. Benjamin, H. Benjamin, D. Hyman, and M, Pinker; auditors, Mr Samuel Jacobs and Mr Godfrey Jacobs. The* following short sketch of the late Lieut. Cpl. St, Jphp appears in the ‘N.Z. Times’; — <f The deceased gentleman has been in the Colony a number of years, and played no unimportant part in the troublous events of the past. He was born of a military family, and after completing his studies passed a most satisfactory examination at Sandhurst, and then served in the Imperial army, being present at the Crimea. Upon arriving In New Zealand he immediately joined his old profession. He had charge of one of the divisions of the militia during the war, and was always recognised ft? one Of the very best officers engaged in the services of the Colony. Ever foremost in the field, and always ready to encounter dftPger as he was, he was still more valuable as 'a leader, owing to his care and prudence qualities indispensable to good fenoralship. He never exposed his men to anger needlessly, and always made due provision for getting out of a difficulty u it epujd not be surmounted, In all respects he was a thorough gentlemen, and there were few, if any, of the men who were with him in bis campaigns on the East and West Coast who would have changed their officer for, any other in the force. Personally, he never knew what danger was, and no doubt his late illness was the result of the fatigues and exposures he underwent during the was. Latterly he had been engaged in the Native department, and had proved himself to he no }§ss valuable In the office than he Was in the field, By his death the Colony loses one of its moat faithful servants,

The bazaar at the University Hall in aid of the Christian Brothers’ School Fund closed on Saturday night, the takings amounting to over LBOO. The school was yesterday consecrated by Bishop Moran, and was to-day opened with a large attendance. Mr John Hill yesterday presided at the organ at Joseph’s. After the late Christchurch meeting, Mr Thomas Logan - purchased from Mr R. Richardson, for L 450, the brown colt Dead Heat, who ran second to Mr Webb’s colt by Traducer out of Ada in the Champagne Stakes. Dead Heat is by Traducer out of Misfortune. The colt remains in Christchurch till after the Spring Meeting in November.

Outram was thrown into a state of unusual excitement on Saturday night by a report that a lad named Thomas Arthur was missing. It appears that in the afternoon a party of young men, accompanied by Arthur, who io about nine years old, went out on a pig-bunting expedition, and while his elders went in pursuit of their game in a gully, lie was left to employ his tune 1 as best he could upon the ranges. He must have wandered 'some distance away, for when his companions returned he was not visible, nor could they obtain any trace of him. In the township search parties were organised on receipt of the intelligence, and during the whole of that night they scoured the bush and district without success. To their great relief their labors were happily ended a few hours after daylight by Arthur putting in an appearance at the toll-bar. He had lost his way, and upon finding himself unable to rejoin his companions had made himself comfortable for the night in a bed of ferns.

The ‘Nelson ‘ veiling Mail’ thinks the Government will soon have to allow that they have done an exceedingly foolish thing in selecting Cable Bay as tbeir head station in connection with the cable, instead of bringing it to Nelson and having the staff there. A visitor to the station thus describes last Sunday night there;—“We had a very stormy time. The waves washed completely over the sandspit on which the hut stands, and the _ floor of the office was flooded. Several times there were two or three feet of water outside the door, and the wet drove into the'Tiouse millions of a kind of beetle that runs about on the sands, and the walls were black with them. We were fairly driven out of our beds. I don’t think the hut and cable house are safe, and believe that some night they will be missing.” All this inconvenience might have been avoided without any additional expense worth speaking of by making Nelson the head-quarters. As it was at White’s Bay.vao it will be at Cable Bay. Operators wul not remain, and the expense of making constant changes will soon become a serious item. The operating staff had to be removed from White’s Bay to Blenheim, and we should not be the least surprised if, after going to the expense of erecting offices at Cable Bay, a similar flitting to Nelson were decided upon within a very short time.

The Kensington I'and of Hope held its usual weekly meeting in the. schoolroom on I'riday evening last when twelve new members enrolled. The total number now on the books is 116.

•A. further postponement of Mdlle. Te Murska s .second concert till Friday next, in consequence of her increased illness, is announced. The postponement is unavoidable, as will be seen from a copy of the m. dical certitieate which appears in another column.

t _Ladder of H°p», Juven le Temple, 1.0. G.T., held its usual weekly meeting in the Hall oh I'riday evening, and aftert he business was finished, selections from ‘ Hamlet '* and other plays were delivered by some of the brothers.