THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 1874.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 283, 7 August 1874, Page 2

THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 1874.

The very common argument used by t!:ose who wish to guide settlement (which they think must be unprofitable in this district) is that the farms already existing do not pay. Mr. Thomson, whose letter was published a fortnight ago, appeals pointedly to those who have taken up land mostly on sufferance —Messrs. Malloch, Preston, Cogan, Ureighton, Mulholland, Currie, and Law—asking us to give their experi-! ence, which he ventures to say would ! We would simply ask-, W hat experience ? Does anyone suppose that he can go on to waste land, be at the expense of breaking up, waiting for frost and heat to mellow it into fine soil, incur the expense of fencing securely and erecting farm buildings, and tben,withbis first crop, show a profit ? If anyone is so sanguine we heartily advipe him not to try farming on Maniototo or elsewhere. If he took up bush land he certainly might get land of originally better heart than any he can get north of Southland, but he would have to pay from £5 and upwards an acre to clear it, and then not be able to put a plough in it for a year or two unless investing in a stump-ex-tracter, or something of the sort. In our district, if the land is—as it is undoubtedly—of a lighter nature, so, in proportion, c&n it be at less expense put into an efficient state of cultivation. Messrs. Mulholland and Creigbton, whose experience as Naseby farmers is, at any ra+e, old enough to test the question, at an elevation of 1700 feet report, this year, profitable results. Messrs Currie and Law have only liad one or two croppings, and their land, when first ploughed and sown was in a wretchedly rough state, owing to the snow-grass tussocks that were not pared but left close together. If, under such circumstances, the cost of the seed was returned, the result should be considered creditable. As for Messrs. Preston and Malloch, these gentlemen are not of a sort, or perhaps of a country, to tell everybody who chooses to pry into their affairs whether they were doing well or not —at any rate, we shall not make the attempt. It is worth noting that both have taken up as much land as they can possibly get —Mr. Malloch, it is observable, going to great expense in sub-division fences, no mean item of farming expenditure. The truth is, no gentlemen know better than they that every acre of land that they can secure ,at or about £1 an acre, in a year or two must be worth £2, and in five or six years be worth double that sum without improvements at v\l. Situated in a locality where there is such an apparently vast extent of country in the hands of the Crown, we too often lose sight of the fact that, at the expirariou of the ensuing year, there will be b:-roly 50,000 acres, if that, left of what is at present classed as agricultural land in the late Province of Otago. We 'can conceive of no possibly better investment for money than land, even on Maniototo, at the prices, a*, which it is offered, whether on the agricultural lease system or on deferred payments. If the laud is so good and can be bo cheaply worked as on the first crop to show anything near a profit on the expenses of fencing and breaking up, the direct profit of the undertaking as a permanent pursuit cannot be slight. The comparison between profits from land held, as the farms are round Naseby, on sufferance and farms which would be, year by year, becoming the unalienable property of the farmers is not a fair one. Neither is it fair to compare profits from land, rough, the first veai" with snow-grass tussocks, and at an altitude of 1700 feet, with

results to be obtained from land on the Eweburn or Wetherburn, where the altitude is some 600 feet less, and where snow-grftas tussocks do not exist at all. We don't believe it pays any farmer to pur hid seed in behind the first plough, but down the plain it can be done with" fair success, as we have seen repeatedly proved. What security have those farming on the sufferance of the runholder to encourage theminimprovihgtheirground? We will show :—ln 1868 the Govern, ment wished to open the Tiger Hill block for settlement. This was most strenuously resisted by J Messrs. Glassford Bros, and their agents. In 1869 Messrs. Driver, M'Lean, and Co. write to the Government: "If our clients are obliged to allow the areas referred to, they will have no course left but to remove those who they have heretofore allowed to settle on private terms" —parties near Welshman's Gully. Then, on the 24th of December, 1870, Messrs. Driver, Stewart, and Co. again write, making a condition before offering agreement: "We would require a memo, from the Government to the effect that all former proposals to take blocks on other parts of the same run be abandoned, leaving the leaseholder power (at his discretion) to remove any person or persons from the occupation of any portion of the run, except that included in the now proposed block." Messrs. Glassford Bros, do not differ from any other runh>.lders ; on the other hand, have at times shown a considerable spirit of liberality in dealing with the miners round them. In Ida Valley, on Sir D. Bell's run, a warning was given to the same effect which has not, we are glad to say, been followed up. This, then, is the security that these settlers have to. offer their families—a liability to be ordered off like a dog from a piece of meat thrown by the hand of the cook, who yet, while it left her hand, hardened her heart by an imaginary picture of the possible extracts yet procurable for the table. Oh, poor dog! Verily you shall yet get the bone, when your masters have bared it and sucked the marrow.

The fact that a Bingle settler has taken land at all on such terms stamps the land laws of the Province, or their j administrators—.we care not which—with obloquy that still withhold a legal right and tenure to his holding. The Government have now, at the eleventh hour, promised to grant an agricultural block in the vicinity of Naseby, the Goldfields Secretary having arranged to come up specially to select it at an early date. We agaiu repeat that the fact of Messrs. Law, Currie, Mulholland, &c, having, with no security, taken up land and wishing to take more —for Mr. Law wishes land, at least, if on the Wethcrburn—is the most! convincing evidence that it is necessary a legal opportunity should be offered them and to others who have not chosen to place themselves at the pastoral tenants* mercy. If only one man wanted to farm 200 acres, and the law allows it, why should he not have the opportunity ?. .' Why should he first get a favorable opinion of his intended enterprise endorsed by Mr. James Thomson, or anyone else ? or, if such endorsement is not procurable, be referred to Mr. Law as to where he is to be permitted to put in his plough? Gratuitous preventive service to protect intending settlers against their own rashness may be very admirable,aa evincing a high-minded public spirit. It is not sufficiently founded on reason or English common-sense to justify its practitioners in a continuance of their nostrums.

We were somewhat puzzled by the legislation going on as to Goldfield specialities in Wellington, and telegraphed up for information. We find that a Goldfields Act Amendment Act of 1»66 has been passed, being merely a formal measure introduced, we believe, by Mr. T. B. Gillies of Auckland, to provide that Superintendents in possession of delegated powers must act with their Executives. Another, of far more importance, was to be brought forward for second reading on Tuesday last. 'Tt provides that streams and Crown lands may, by proclamation, be used for di-posit of ddbris ; also, that mining reserves may be made within Goldfields. We need hardly say that suchameasurewould not deal retrospectively or condone offences already committed. It appears to be a tacit admission on the part of the Government that the law is defective, and that therefore such pollution or discbarge of debris is a fair ground for litigation. We are getting oh.'slowly when even that is recognised. -It'is a. slow business this waiting on a* central authority who have the sole power of redress, and yet disclaim all knowledge of what needs it. ——-♦.. —- Sestebday a report, was telegraphed from Dunedin that 200 men were being sent up by the Government to go on the Mount Ida Public Works. The telegram appeared to be bona fide. As a matter of conjoct ure, it is quite likely that the Government, having to find work for the crowds of immigrants in Duue'din, may have arranged with Mr. Abbott 1 to take a batch at a reduced rate of. wages. Our own correspondent threw no light last night upon the report.

sary of the establishment of the English Church in Naseby. A statement of the financial affairs of the.Church will be made to the congregation. We are very glad to learn that the Naseby Dramatic Club, whose performances have given so much genuine amusement to the public will soon re-appear. Several popular plays are now under rehearsal, one of which will shortly be duly announced. In addition to the talent well known in connection with the Club, several new stars are, we hear; added to the dramatic staff.

Owing to the severity of the frost, and the consequent hardness of the rough road bje£ tween Pigroot and Kyeburn, the up-eoiefc due on Saturday, last broke down-—on«(|of' the axles breaking. The groom stationedfat the Kyeburn came up to Naseby with a pair of horses and took down the spare coach to fetch up the passengers and mails, which last were unusually heavy. The relieving coach returned to Naseby'about seven, stopping the night, and going on to Clyde next morning. The Goldfields revenue collected at Naseby —being one year's rent for mining leases—is £760 —this in spite of the evasions lessees whose leases, through the dilatoriness of the authorities, have not been prepared, are able to make, they being enabled, after the first six-month's payment in advance, to refuse further remittances if the lease is not exe-. cuted—thus taking a cheap opportunity under protection to prospect ground others might have been glad to have taken up in a bona fide manner. Leases, it appears, take sometimes nearly two years to execute. Why or wherefore is hot easily known.

As rather strong statements were made at the nomination of Municipal Councillors, that no expenditure of Muuicipal money bad been incurred in the South Ward, we have much pleasure in giving the following correot statement of expenditure in the different Wards — i.e , purely road expenditure:— Southward ... ... £35 15 3 Westward 35 4 3 Eastward ... ... 29 7 6 We have not included two lamps in South Ward, some £3O, nor any expenditure such as the Eire Brigade, that all must participate in the benefits of. These figures are taken off the books, and are correct.

The rent collected at Naseby by the Gold Receiver during the year, for agricultural leases, amounts to £995 55., only £4 15a. short of £I,OOO. £BOO of this is contribnted by pastoral tenants for the sections they have secured under the Waste Lands Act of 1872, £l9O odd being contributed by lessees under the Goldfields Act. Considering that no agricultural blocks have been selected anywhere near the centres of mining population, the result, as coming from the Mount Ida District only, is strongly contradictory of Mr. Raid's statement that not 1,000 acres of the whole of the great reserve-—fortunately now an abortion—of which Mount Ida is only a small part, was fit for agricultural settlement. Next year, if the Naseby block is well selected, the revenue from agricultural leases will exceed £1,200. This year's revenue represents about 7,962 acres occupied for agricultural purposes. In a dispute between carpenters in the Resident Magistrate's Court, Dunedin, while stating the case for the plaintiffs, Mr. Barton commented very favorably on a leader which appeared in the ' Daily Times' about a month ago on . the matter, upon which his Worship inquired of him if he wrote the article. Mr: Barton replied that he did not, butsaidtbathe was thinking of asking counsel oil the opposite side (Mr. Stout) if he wrote it. Whoever was the writer it wa3 creditable to him. It spoke of the country as being in a state of prosperity; and he (Mr. Barton) thought the only persons not prospering at the present time were the lawyers. His Worship asked Mr. Barton if he was aware that the most prosperous times were the least beneficial for the lawyers ? whereupon Mr. Barton expressed a hope that the sooner there was a change in the country's flourishing state the better for him. Mb. O E. Haughton reports upon the prospects of the Goldfields as follows; —The perusal of the reports of Wardens and examination of tables included in the • appendix will lead to the conclusion that there is no reason for anxiety as to the future prospects of the G-oldfields of the Colony. The time has no doubt passed for easy alluvial workings, and the application of skilled labor and capital is neceasary now in goldmining as in other pursuits. In the goldmining disfcricte, large areas of ground considered not payable when worked in a general way, are found to be remunerative, and demand only a sounder system of hydraulic sluicing. Whilst it is notorious that many square miles of auriferous country in both islands remain entirely undeveloped, labor qf «J1 kinds at the present time is so highly paid that little inducement is held out to prospect the country for pold. Since the date to which my returns. have been made up, there has been a steady improvement in the yield frcm the Thames Golctfield, magnificent veins of quartz having been struck in several of the mines. There seems reason to believe that, so far from being worked out, as was at one time apprehended, the quartz mines in this district are only being opened up, and will afford interest upon the capital expended, and remunerative labor to a large number of miners for many years to come. The ' Dunedin Star's Wellington correspondent' has something to say about Mr. Holloway who has gone North. He increases in bulk and importance in every Province he passes through. Both Mr. Rolleston and Mr._ Macandrew have heavy Bins to answer for in puffing up this Chartist advocate for trades union until he has become the inflated mass that he now is. I saw the man daily while he was here: saw him grow palpably before my very gaze; but whether it was from the good cheer he ate, or the wine of self-laudation he daily drank, I could not divine. At times he got confidential: read to you his letter Home, or passages from his diary; and to sum him up, he is worse than Grant on one side of the Octagon, and Graham on the other, standing on tubs and employing their eloquent vituperative. powers against each other, .and against all things and men in Otago. It is infra dig. for " Citizen and Delegate Holloway," to cairy even a carpet bag. He will stand in a bar and order grog—which he sticks up and the Government has to pay for—see it poured out, and then order it to be sent to his room. Bed, board, whisky, washing, clothing, free: twenty shillings a day salary from the Government, fourteen shillings a day from the Union to which he belongs (some people affirm he has another twenty shillings per day travelling expenses from this latter source), and twenty-five shillings a week for the maintenance of his family during his absence from England. Verily his lines may be considered to have fallen in pleasant places, and considering the money he receives, and that he has no need to spend any of it—nay more, he takes care not to spend—his children ought to have a goodly heritage. I suppose he costs our opeffHiantlpd Government at the rate of £I,OOO a year. 1 consider it the duty of the Press to put such people in their proper place; and when I have more leisure I will endeavor to pursue the theme a little further.