AGRICULTURAL LEASES

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 320, 17 April 1875, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL LEASES

; ...:The following from Mr. Warden Stratford's report is of general interest: . " The vexed question between the rights :of agriculturists and miners is becoming more harassing each year. Undoubtedly it is very difficult to decide what land is :auriferous and what not. At the same time vast tracts ot country are lying useless, .which- could afford employment to .thousands- of men to their own advantage and to that of the treasury chest. It having b.een decided by the. District Court that the agriculturist has a right to the land to the centre of the earth downwaras, and. the cumbersome machinery of arbitration having caused so.much delay and expense, has aroused the miners to oppose agricultural settlement wherever there is a possibility of gold being found. The consequence .is. the Wardens have no fixed basis on.which, to decide, and it .becomes safer,to refuse the leases until legislation provides that the agriculturists shall have no control over the minerals, and that an uniform price shall, be paid, if required, for mining. purposes,. Then the .agriculturist will be. able to. calculate, whether it is worth his while to fence,in and c zltivate' the land, and oppositipji. will cease. In all decisions he should -have a right to remove all improvements, and time be given, if the land is under crops, for them to ma-' tuiu. Lam of opinion that in this district the'introduction - of such a law would cause -the almost imtnediateoccupation of about five thousand (5,000) acres under the Agricultural Lease Regulations. The advantage both to the Government and the people by revenue and settlement would be very great." ■