THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1869.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 620, 8 January 1870, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1869.

Although the land sale at Hokitika the other day was an improvement upon the last, still the quantity sold was very small,, considering the length of time that had elapsed since the previous sale. And we cannot avoid thinking that under a more liberal code of land regulations the revenue from the waste lands might be very much increased, and permanent settlement become more general. Whatever may be the special difficulties which a. cultivator has to surmount in Westland, they are chiefly confined to the preparatory period of his occupation. Clearing and breaking up the forest lands is a work entailing so, muqh expenditure of time and labor as to deter many from purchasing land at the price fixed upon it, although they may know that once put under crop its. fertility would amply repay them. Settlers of the class most desirable for this part of the Colony do not usually possess much capital beyond their labor, and to them two pounds per acre is a prohibitory price, and even half that sum is more than they can afford to give before they have done anything at the land. Could they obtain land upon some system of deferred payment, their small capital would enable them to get their land gradually into cultivation before the time for payment arrived. We have before indicated our opinion in favor of a system of leasing that would enable the lessee to become the purchaser by the rent he has paid during a certain fixed period. Not the least advantage of this system would be that it would provide an unobjectionable method of settling tha,t vexatious question — mining upon private property, The present regulations make provision for the entry by miners upon lands purchased and held under Crown Grant by private individuals, but it is extremely dou-btf al if those regulations are worth a straw in law as they stand ; perhaps they are harmless to private, rights, because they contain so many restrictions for the protection of the occupier as to narrow the probabilities of interference to 9 very small limit. Still the state of the law upon this subject is so unsatisfactory that it is extremely ' doubtful if a person 4 having once paid foi and occupied his land, could not preveni a.ny one from trespassing upon it in pursuit of gold or anything else. As the onlj object of these regulations was to prevent the wholesale purchase of auriferous lands by speculators, any plan of occupation that would reserve all reasonable privileges, to the miners, and yet not ab&olutelj prevent cultivation, would be preferable to the one no v in force, which practical^ closes all land supposed to contain goli against any other profitable use. Under 1 judicious system we cannot see why ever] acre of land in the coun'ry could not b< leased without in any way lessening tin facilities for gold mining. Supposing sonx such plan as the following were adopted ;— 1. All lands may be leased for 6031 a fid residence or cultivation, subject to thi following conditions-^=The. leases, to be fo: five years, at the annual rental of (say five shillings per acre, payable yearly ii advance. The. annual rejit to count as par of the purchase money, The price c the land to be (say) twenty-^ fiye shilling per acre. In default of non-payment 0 rent, lessee to forfeit right of purchase At the- end of five years, if no gold work ings are found on the land, it is. to be_com the unconditional property of the pui chaser.. Pairing the continuancje of th lease the land may be entered fur mmm purpose?, subject to compensation far sui face damage- or injury to crops and fencjn^ but no compensation to be given for e.ntr upon uncleared land. We do nut profess to say that the above mentioned sketch regulations contain 0101 „ than the genii of a plan which uiigh.t. be. el? buratediutu a very iisuful measure. Sue

leasing regulations would require the most careful consideration in order to guard against improper advantage being taken by mere speculators, and yet, at the same time, to. afford the utmost facilities for honaJUh occupation. We shall watoh with no little interest the course the County Council will pursue upon thie important subject, as upon the liberality and wisdom of its land law depends a great deal of the f utuve prosperity of Westla,nd.