The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 575, 8 May 1858, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times.

! Saturday, May 8. ' The rents for runs held under the Waste , Land Reg-illations of this Province, which were taken at the Waste Lands Board, on the first of May, amounted this year to £7,000. Three "millions of acres are thus held, and nearly two millions more under the Old New Zealand Regulations of Sir George Grey. The rents of runs held under the latter, regulations will not fall due until later in the year. Last year they amounted to. about £1,500. They ought, of course, to he considerably more this year, as they are paid hj way of assessment on-the stock depastured. Altogether we may.-reckon our pasturage rents this year atkbont £9,000. This source of income wjll increase every year, because, not to speak of the large quantity of new country which is still being* taken up every day, the runs already taken up under the Canterbury Regulations will be paying heavier rente until they reach the maximum of fd. per acre; and those .under the Old J\ Tew Zealand Regulations until they are fully stocked. It is a cheering proof of the capacities of the province that the country taken un^ar back-towards the mountains durmwlß| last year has not turned out so rougl^^pSp discourage, others from going still fumt^f inland. On the contrary, the lands which. twelve months ago -appeared almost inaccessible, are now looked on as comfortably near the market, while the value of runs has increased so much in public estimation that scarcely any country is considered too distant or too rough for occupation. Since the Ist of May last year, nearly which 155,000 weretaken up on the Ist of May this year, so that there appears still to be no abatement of energy in seeking out new. pastoral country or of success in finding' it. With very few exceptions the country taken up has-been applied for on personal knowledge of its eapaoib'ties, and has proved satisfactory to the occupier. There is no knowing yet how much more available country'we may have for sheepfarming. The province is estimated to contain 1] ,000,000 aeres,of which aboutonethird is useless for occupation, consisting of mountain tops, river beds, and rocks. It is thought by many that there will yet be found a couple of millions of acres which may be more or less profitably occupied. Every year's .progress helps on the next year; every acre occupied in the back country facilitates and encourages further enterprise; and the squatter who pushes1 furthest inland has this consolation for the ■■ difficulty of access from his country to the reign of comparative civilization, and for the expense of conveying his wool to market, that'he .will be among the last whose tenure will be disturbed by the progress of agriculture and the gradual absorption of pasturage licenses into freehold estates. Apropos of discoveries by means of private enterprise, we have a few words to say. It appears to us that the task of exploring new country among the mountains to the westward should properly be left to those who will reap an ample reward for their exertions in the occupation of the available country they desire. It seems a fair principle that, the man who has the enterprise to <m and look for the . country should" get the first chance of availing himself of "it. Whereas if, Government.charge themselves with task of exploring, a regular scramble of speculators is likely to ensue upon the publication of official discoveries. This cannot be as healthful or as beneficial a system as leaving the field open to pri- ■ vate enterprise. If we were living on a large continent like America, it would become the duty of Government to find out , the main routes which would open up new tracts of county; such a task would be ■ beyond the means of private individuals. > But in our little country, no such necfissity has yet been felt for' Government interference.

I For these reasons we arc inclined to doubt the policy of the prolonged attention paid by the Provincial Engineer to the passes of the Hurunui. That officer's time is very valuable, and it is well-known that his work is severe enough -without such additional duties. After all, weTcnow now that there is not sufficient available country in that quarter within our own province to justify any great expenditure of time or money in opening it up. Most of the open country on the Orey River is in the Nelson province; and on that province devolves the duty of rendering it accessible. Very i'ew individuals belonging to Canterbury would reap any benefit from present operations in that direction ; and all public time and money spent there appears to us to be unjustly spent so long as large occupied districts are in such need of readier means of access.

We pointed out lately the necessity for spine public expenditure on the communications between Timara and the WaitangiThere is a country stocked and occupied, whose exports we are in positive danger of losing-. No one acquainted, with the circumstances of the case would be inclined to encourage the opening- up of the Hurunui gorges until something had been done to promote better communication with the southern portion of the province.