THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SMALL GRAZING RUN QUESTION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2340, 5 November 1908, Page 6

THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SMALL GRAZING RUN QUESTION.

[To the Edit on.] Sir —There is an old. saying that “Fools rush in where angels'tear to tread.” In this instance a gentleman signing himself lan Ennsofl Simson, is not the -angel and 1 think he will look foolish before 1 have done •\vitii him. (tie uviKlori/akGS to pvit tlic true position of i*ho grazing run qu©s-t-ion before your readers —that ip from his point ox view. He carefully ignores altogether the conditions under which these runs were let. Any business iirm in making a contract wnh a client wowkl, in honor bound, have to carry out that contract (even supposing'it to be a bad spec. l* or the hrm) Now Jet one ask Mr imrnson to carefully read Clause 209 of the • 1885 Act on renewals; also to read in the Crown .Lands Guide lor KtHJ or. iia (r o 21 under the heading ‘bmal. Grazing Runs.” He will, there/find the following: “The lease is lor twen-ty-one years with the first offer at the end'of that term of a renewal for a second term of twenty-one years. Now, Sir, how does Air Simson get over that hurdle. He says t,he Crown, on the advice of their officers, (I presume lie ie the officer) and recommendation of the Land Board of the district determined they won .cl not lease this small .grazing run, but preferred to cut it up and give it to the public in. small areas at 5 per cent on the capital value. Just so; I have no -doubt, from the composition of the Board, this is wliat they would prefer to do; but I ask Mr Simson, as I have asked the Minister of Lunds, how can they do s-o without a distinct breach of contract with the present lessees? The statement that Mr Simson makes about land in the immediate neighborhood being worth from £8 ho £lO per acre, I don’t dispute, but that is beside the question altogether. It is honor and principles and the just rights' of Crown tenants that I /am fighting for, and if Mr Simson and the Ministerial crew can succeed in depriving the lessee- of Run 43 of liis ]ust rights, then -I say it is time to get out of the country. Mr Simson harps on the low rental of 3d to 4cl per acre paid by the lessees. I may inform Mr Simson the rent on the first term was l-]d per acre, but- he quietly ignores the fact that the present lessee paid £3 los per acre goodwill, which at 5 per cent makes the rent 3s 10) d per acre. He must also remember that this rent was paid on the unproductive bush land covering one-fourth of the run. For the second 21 years a. fresh valuation takes place, which brings the rent up to -nearly 6s per acre. The Government- of 21 years ago did not think these blocks" any too big when the land was only worth 5s per acre; but now that the tenants have improved the land up to £3 per acre unimproved value, they think it should be taken from them 'and given to some one else. You will find the Government of the present day offering blocks in large areas in the Auckland province, giving the tenants the land rent free for the" first ten years, and it- is not being rushed. Mr iSimson says: “Take Mr Black’s case. He and his son purchased freehold 'and! leasehold land. He finds the leasehold tenure not as good as he .thought it was. 'Whose fault is this? Why did they not buy all .freehold, or is it because they took the chance, knowing they were only paying 3d to 4d per acre for land that is worth- from 4s to ss?” Mr -Sim-' son. carefully .avoids mentioning that £3 los per acre was paid as goodwill which increases the rent to 3s This, of course, is not intentional; I can only blame a vacant memory, i May inform Mr Simson that" the leasehold tenure is quite as good fafr . ever it was if we can only keep the Government up to their contract; but when they deliberately try to 1 take a anean advantage of their tenants this is where the trouble commences. To quote Mr Simson again lie says: “Unfortunately for Mr Black the small grazing run is one of the best in the district, and it was determined’ to not again lease -as a -whole.” Well, sir, Mr Simson is supposed to be a capable judge of land, or the Government would not have wanted to promote him to Dujnedin, and he is also keen on close settlement (when it suits him). Run 43 has never carried more than i£ sheep to the acre. What has Mr Simson to say about Run 42 that was not suitable for cutting up, which is carrying 2) sheep to the acre. Then again this great authority on the land recommends that Mr Caesar’s run, is all suitable for cutting up. It is carrying 1£ sheep to the acre. Mr Lewis and Air Bar-tram capsize his opinion and! -renew most of it to Mr Caesar, As I said in a former letter it was a put-up-job and I am still of the same opinion. To quote Mr Simson again he says: — “Mr Black was treated, however, very kindly and generously. Although all his land was fit for closer settlement, it was decided, as Mr Black had 400 freehold with alt his buildings erected thereon, and also had another long lease of 700 acres, both of which areas adjoined this particular grazing run, the Land Board very generously offered to give Mr Black 900 acres of Crown land out of the grazing run, so. as to bring Mr Black’s total area -up to 2000 .acres, thereby giving him -a preference of an area of 900 of the best land.” Now let me inform Air Simson that the lessee of Run 43, It. G. Black, has not got 400 acres of freehold', -nor is he* the lessee of 700 acres with a long lease. The grazing run is the only property he has got of which Air Simson, the 'Board, 'and the Government arc trying to deprive him. With regard to the lovely piece of country selected by Air 'Simson in the generosity of /liis immense heart, which, he calls 900 acres of the best land, in the Hawke’s Bay “Herald” of October 13th appears- rib* Ranger’s report on Black’s run. This is Jr/s own description of the block: “The. land from Waterfall Creek to the back boundary is a succession; of steep ridges and gullies, and is of fair quality; but- owing to its steepness and not being cleared ol' timber, having only been grassed during the last four years, and having no possible building sites, I would suggest that 'about 900 -acres, starting from the back boundary of the north side of the road, bo cub off and put into a small greying i’uu at $3 IQs per pore omimi

proved value, and offered to the present tenant for another term oi 21 years. Alaghanimotis Crown Lauda Ranger! , Are you not proud off yourself ? The roughest piece on the block iis good enough for the existing lessee. This is what you call the bent .land. Out of your own mouth are you condemned unless the printer has made a mistake, . - To go back to the first part of the letter, Air Simson -asks the question, “Who is Air Black?” and he does not even wait for a -reply, but- with cool effrontery and colossal cheek, answers it himself. .His answer is: “A land speculator who came here sonic years -ago and purchased in various parte of Poverty Bay properties of considerable value, and because a property secured by his son be thinks will * turn out a p’cor speculation, making a possible Joss o! a thousand pounds or even two. 'ho attacks people connected, with the 'Crown and writes silly letters to the papers, and poses as one who lias been unfairly dealt with by the Government.” _ I presume the people connected with the Crown refers to the gentleman himself, and when I see or hear of any underhand work, whether it is in connection with either land or whisky, I am not afraid to speak. In the first place I deny being a land speculator, any properties I have bought I still held. I have had 35 years experience of farming, and work mv farms myself, my three sons work their own. I have been here 3] years, and claim to havo assisted in the increase of exports from Poverty Bay. I liave exported some 10,000 sheep from here to Canterbury. We have frozen 18,000 sheep and lambs, and 300 head -of cattle ; shipped' 1500 bales of wool to London, and spent over £7OOO on improvements. Is-this the work of a speculator? If Air Simson wants to know anything more about me, he can call at my Bank and ask the amount of my overdraft. I would ask -Air Simson in conclusion whom he terms bona fide set-tiers ? Is it people who do all their farming by telephone from the City?—l am, etc., G. J. BLACK.