New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, June 17, 1848.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 301, 17 June 1848, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, June 17, 1848.

What is to be done with the absentees ?—? — This is a question that has often been asked, and as the settlement advances, is likely to be often repeated, without any satisfactory answer. That so much of the land in the town and its immediate vicinity is Ihe property of persons, the greater part of whom hold it merely as a speculation, contributing in no way to its improvement, and consenting to part with it only on such terms as will square with the extravagant notions they have formed of its value is likely to prove a serious impediment to the progress of the settlement. It is a subject to which we have often adverted, and is one which is likely to prove a standing grievance. In fixing a value on their land, many of the absentees form their estimate from the old established and populous localities in which they reside, expecting these estimates to be realized. Tn illustration of our assertion we may refer to a communication recently received by an agent from an absentee, who, among other things, desires to be informed if the town authorities of Wellington have devised any improved modes of supplying water to the inhabitants, any plans of sewers and for the erection of Gas Works, and the proposed locality of these latter, strongly recommending that the provisions of the "Metropolitan Building Act," enacted about two years since by the British Legislature, should be enforced by the authorities at Wellington ! Such vagaries are so palpably absurd that they only excite laughter at the ignorance which could prompt them. If the querist could survey either Te Aro, or Thorndon Flat he would be satisfied, from the number of unoccupied sections, that the days of Gas Works and Water Works are yet far distant. Perhaps this may be considered an extreme case, but whatever difference may exist among the absentees as to the extent and accuracy of then* information concerning this settlement, they all agree in endeavouring to obtain the utmost they can from their tenants. Some propose to grant leases for their town lands for only three years, others (the majority) extend the term to seven and fourteen years, while in no case, we believe, has any lease been granted for a longer period than twenty-one years. It is clear that the tenant must accommodate himself to the circumstances in which he is placed, and endeavour to proportion his outlay so that it will just last his time, and the result is that in the buildings which are erected no more expense is incurred than is absolutely necessary. The same objections

i apply to the terms for leasing country lands, i but here the mischief is greater, since the value of the country lands arises chiefly from the labour expended by the tenant in clearing, and unless he has a purchasing clause, at the expiration of his lease he loses the value of his improvements which become the property of the landlord. Let us contrast with these hard conditions the plan pursued by an owner of land in an old settled colony with a population of 50,000 persons,. The person to whom we allude is Mr. S. Cunard, the contractor for the mail steamers between Liverpool and Boston, who is the owner of extensive lands in Prince Edward's Island, the colony referred to, and who thus describes, before the Committee of the House of Lords last year, his manner of dealing with his tenantry :—: — " I lay out roads through my land as I think I shall have tenants coming, always having plenty in advance ; then I lay the land out in lots of fifty acres each fronting on the road, and I employ my tenants to make my roads ; instead of paying me rent in money, I employ them in that way. Then I give my terfants leases for 999 years. The first two or three years I give them for nothing ; after that they pay me threepence and sixpence, then ninepence, and then a shilling. A shilling is the maximum rent that I charge them. There is a clause in the lease that they may have the land at any time by paying me the original price of it ; that is, twenty years' purchase — £1 per acre. So that I never get advantage of their improvements. In other cases the poor man goes on the land and cultivates it ; and he is bound to pay the landlord a certain sum in a certain time. If he fails to pay it, the original owner comes into possession of the land ; but not so with mine, because at any period during 999 years there is a clause in the lease which gives him the power to have the fee-simple by purchase at the original cost ; not at the enhanced value, but at twenty year's purchase at Is. Then I gave him the first three or four years free." Mr. Cunard further states that his experience satisfies him that the system of long leases, with the option of purchasing the feesimple, works best. The tenants prefer a certainty of getting {he fee-simple to the long leases — even to leases of 999 years. Suppose such a system applied to New Zealand. Suppose that in leases for town and country lands, the usual term was — not 999 — but 99 years, with the right of purchase, at an equitable rate, at any period during the term. Tn the town the result would be a better and more substantial class of buildings than those at present erected, because the tenant would have a more beneficial interest in his lease ; it would be more to his advantage to expend £600 on the ground on a 99 years lease than £300 on a2l years lease. But the difference in the country districts would be still greater. The soil in Prince Edward's Island, where thp plan we have adverted to is in operation, is described as being alluvial, £t for any agricultural purposes, the surface undulating, but without any high mountainous land, and by means of steam within a month's communication of England. In some'respects, particularly in its proximity^o the mother-country, ithas a decided advantage over New Zealand, yet the purchase of the fee simple is only £1 an acre. In New Zealand if the country lands were leased for a term of 99 years at a maximum rent, after the first five years, of from three to ten shillings an acre according to the situation and value of the section, with a right of purchase at any time during the lease, the purchase money being ten years purchase of the maximum rent, — we think such an arrangement would be mutually beneficial. We may suppose that the absentees in purchasing land in New Zealand are desirous either of realizing a handsome profit from their speculation by its sale, or of making a profitable investment by obtaining a higher interest than the current rate in England. Where the original purchase money was only £1 per acre, we think a maximum rent of from three to ten shillings per acre according to the value of the land with a right of purchase of from £1 10s. to £5 per acre must be considered sufficiently remunerative. And British capital might be usefully employed in this way, if the owners would only be influenced by the same general principles which guide them in other business, but if they will persist in

cherishing their present hallucinations, the only way to bring them to their senses will be the imposition of a good land tax, the proceeds to be spent in local improvements.

Slaughter Houses. — A special meeting of the Justices of the Peace for this district was held at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Wellington, on Thursday last, for the purpose of granting licenses for slaughter houses, according to the provisions of the ordinance passed in the last Session of the Legislative Council, when licenses were granted to the following persons for the period of twelvemonths from the Ist July next: — W. B. Rhodes, Te Aro; W. Luxford, Lambton-quay; J. M'Nally and H. Light, jointly, Lambton-quay; W. Meech and J. Collier, jointly, Pipitea Point; G. H. Luxford and J. Brown, Willis-street ; and G. Webb, Lambton-quay. The following resolution was then agreed to— "That in granting licenses for the object for which the meeting has been convened, we are of opinion, — and we beg respectfully to bring the subjpct under the consideration of the executive of this Province, — that it is most desirable for the health, comfort, and protection of the community, that public slaughter houses should be erected as soon as possible at each extremity of the town of Wellington so as to obviate the danger and inconvenience of driving catile about to be slaughtered through the public thoroughfares, and with the object of more effectually carrying out the provisions of the Slaughter House Ordinance, 11 Vic, Sess. 8, No. 5." We hope this recommendation will be carried out, as the establishment of Public Slaughter Houses will be the best means of securing to the public a practical benefit from the provisions of the ordinance.

We understand that a subscription has been set on foot for the purpose of repairing the road along the beach. We alluded last week to the wretched state of this thoroughfare, ajid the heavy rains which have since fallen have made it, if possible, in a still worse state. Application has been made to his Excellency the Lieutenant- Governor for assistance from the Government, and we hope, that, altogether, sufficient funds will be raised to put the road in thorough state of repair.

Britannia SAloon. — A juvenile night, the first since the Saloon has been established, took place last Monday evening ; the entertainments were selected with great judgment and appeared to give great satisfaction to a very respectable audience. The singing was of a superior character, the song by the tallest gentleman in the colony was a capital hit. We understand the performance will be repeated on Tuesday next, as many could not attend in consequence of the bad state of the weather. We congratulate the audience on their prompt compliance with the intimation in the bills that no smoking would be allowed ; it is a custom in a theatre more honoured in the bieach than the As the Saloon is about to close for the season, we hope that arrangements will be made to prevent this annoyance in future.