THE LAND QUESTION.

Evening Star, Issue 4144, 8 June 1876, Page 4

THE LAND QUESTION.

%o..the Editor. " ?

Sir,—The following remark occurs invonr leader on the : Teceiit -action, of the Waste land Board in reference to the sale of the €6,000 ' ...si-vi < i YTe ®nt It-ftft iwiy sensible man whether, iLtUa ‘ land, .Were' of 1 tjw Darren quality 1 desoribedf, the 1 leafeOß, occupaftoiTofit for years, and must perforce bare ttnddfstoodita; capabilities, ■ would have been in such a burry tq buy it, that the ink was scarcely dry on’ tb^'*’Gazette ' before their: applications were lodged; still more, that they would have voluntarily offered to pay an unusually high price for it P I danot know whether you would class me amongthe sensible men toiwhom you appeal, but I possess the senses of sight and hearing—two most essential requisites to a. frbit not fail ipake good use. of them, so that, frpm _pbeervatipn and experience.! amina position to show that the price offered byTthe lessees for-sdid lands was not an unusually; high price, and it is-only in comparison, . with t£e - ruinously Jow price at which the Provincial Govennhent are offer ng the best lands (20s per acre), and on deferred payments extending oyer ten years, at 30s, that the price • rimed 1 can be considered high;-it To prove my position I will give yon ian- account of three transfers of land, all in this Province, east of Matanra, which recently came under my observation, No.t was a private sale of‘trashy hill land (well knoWn'to the writer) at 50s per acjpr land had been pnrphaaed .from the Government at 20s per acre somo 'two years* previously, and had not bgen .One shiUing Expended in^imprpyepent^ No; was the sale of 'acres of laid of good quality, but rough and ; . .'at L 3 10s per acre, subject to a lease four, years to.run. In this case , there were im- 1 provements to the value"*say of LSOO, the yendor had apumbasing clause in the lease; at L2 10s per acre, so that be-’-cleared 20s 1 per acre without any trouble. ' v . ifyji, ff waS almost the sameas Up. 2. Seine Aflfoo t acres’ were, recently, leased; for seven ■ yetis at 2a 6d per acre, - with a purchasing chutie at .temination of lease at L 3 10s per fcCrd.lljdced, there is such a rush after land the '"Btovinde,. that.-the Govern- *’ dispose Of it from 30s to r M'the abri% attoOTding to quality-’ and posi-; tion. ;At time,- it is hiring squanv tiered, as any, young spendthrift ; without i i . brainfl of experience might do on doming ‘ fine and unencumbered estate. Look at. Canterbury i; There, the price has from the firirtbcmi. double that in Otago,, and yet, J* fb*»-<inr»>-haa-beeD 'to. lbO "I'eady safes , v ‘”' v,s. j think it fa high time' we drew in our S§ riiw, i and stopped the ■prege-.t-. reckless t&tQfSr, and* am inclined tb side with Mr ffdvocatibg the tearing ofrtond b’y £ Of disJMgbf the