THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam out Faciam." THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 1562.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 47, 9 January 1862, Page 2

THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam out Faciam." THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 1562.

—_ o If the extraordinary yield of its gold-fields during the last few, months hud not made Otago an essentially gold-producing country, its leading characteristic would be its unequalled pastoral capabilities. It is only within the last three years that sheep grazing has been carried on to any extent, and the results, although less brilliant, are scarcely less marvellous than those of the "latter-day" gold discoveries. Sir George Grey, on his visit to Otago thirteen years ago, spoke in the highest terms of the qualifications the Province possessed for pastoral purposes. The early settlers, however, appeared rather to prefer agricutural to pastoral pursuits; at any rate, sheep grazing was little thought of till the year 1857, when, encouraged by the success of a few who had ventured into the occupation, a general rush was made for the whole of the land in the Province available for pastoral purposes. It- is not necessary to refer to the easy terms on which the runs wire leased; the Government was naturally anxious to encourage a new branch of in dustry, and probably thought the question of a few pounds more or'lessof rent, of secondary importance to providing the country with a valuable article of export. Many of. the runs, no doubt, were taken up with a purely speculative object, tore-sell at a profit, but others fell into the hands of men who meant business, and who have shown that they meant it. The annual report of the Chief Inspector of Sheep, Mr. Logic, has just been published, ami from it we are left to gather that the sheep-producing interest is making rapid advancement. "You will observe," says the Inspector, " that there is a great addition to the number [of sheep] of last year. The return for 1860 (Southland included,) was Four Hundred and Thirty-nine Thousand Nine Hundred and Eighteen (439,918.) In 1861, for Otago alone there is Five Hundred and Twenth-three Thousand One Hundred and Twenty-six (523,126.) Add to the above 55 per cent, of Lambs under three months old (not returnable,) and there is very near a million of Sheep in the Province. "Lambing is nearly over; and, from the splendid season that has been, the average will be very much higher than we have had for the last few years," * * * " Clip will be good, the quality of the wool much stronger and better than last year, also free from the fault that was found with it. The contemplated importations of Sheep are very large; in fact I am aware that upwards of fifty thousand have been contracted for; and I have not the slightest doubt that there will be upwards of one hundred thousand taken inio the Province the ensuing year." Referring to the capabilities of the country, he says :— „ "It is almost incredible to see the improvement that has taken place to the conntrv by stocking. The immense quantity of grass there is this spring is actually wasting for .want of animals to use it." Out of the total number of 523,126 sheep, 496,361 are imported as clean, and 26,765 arc diseased. On this subject the Inspector says:— "I am disappointed at being unable to hand in a clean return, and am afraid there will be little chance of doing so until the importations from Victoria cease. But if the settlers would erect dips on their stations, and carefully dress all the newly-imported Sheep they buy—likewise those that happen to travel through doubtful country—it would give a great assistance in eradicating disease from the Province " The three largest holders have 32,000, 25,000, and 25,000 respectively, all of which are clean. The next in quantity is 22,000, out of which 6,000 arc diseased. Then follow ten lots, varying from the last number to 8,500, ail of which are reported clean. The next in quantity, 8,256, are all described as diseased. Then follow 16 lots down to 5,500, all of which are clean. Of the next lot of 5,265, 2,775 are diseased. A little further on the list, comes a lot of 4,360, out of which, 2,755 are affected. Then, after a further interval, comes a lot of 4100 all diseased. A little t further again in a lot of 3757, 2934 are re-

ported diseased. This is the last that come" under the diseased column, the remainder are described as clean. In all there are 101 lots, out of which six only are wholly or partly diseased. Seeing that, as yet, the disease is so limited, it is to be hoped that its ravages will be localised to the runs on which it already exists, and that Mr. Logic's suggestions for dipping and dressing will be generally adopted. Short of stopping importations altogether, a step which for many reasons is not to be thought of, too stringent regulations for the prevention of the increase of scab cannot be enforced. Its effects on the sheep producing interest have been most serious in Victoria. To those of our Victorian readers, to whom the very name of squatter is abhorrent, the information may be acceptable, that the rui>holders in Otag'o hold their runs on very different tenure to those of the pastoral lessees of the sister colony. They have no ambiguous illdefined rights under the uncertain authority of Orders in Council on which to found exaggerated claims. They hold by lease for a stated term, exceeding in no case fourteen years and subject to the well understood con-" ditions that in the event of the land being required for occupation it can be declared into hundreds and sold, and that if found to be auriferous it is at once to be ceded to the purposes of the miner. In the latter case compensation from the revenue of the gold-fields is to be granted for the losses sustained by reason of suspension of the lease. From researches we have made, it appears that there are 168 runs underlease, comprising an area of 10,312 square miles, or 0,599,870 acres. The average currency of the leases is 10 years; some will fall in in six years, others have as much as twelve" years before they expire. The largest run is 108,820 acres; there are several of 100,000 ; the smallest is 3200 acres. The license fees' range from £5 to £19 19s. As we have said, the tenure of the Squatters or Kunholders in Otago is widely different from that of their confreres in Victoria, but it by no means follows that they may not fall under the same amount of odium. The unpopularity which the pastoral sovereigns of Victoria labour under, is due to more than one cause. We have already alluded to the excessive claims they make under the Orders in Council, to which they trace their title, but besides these have to be added, the disposition they evinced to monopolise the land, not by fair purchase but by buying and bullying off competition; and the arrogant spirit ofexclusiveness they displayed in the class pretensions they put forth to social superiority over other colonists. Only a few weeks ago the Sydney Empire referred to this failing. "It will not be denied," saj rs our contemporary,, "by. any who have had experience of bush life, that the system of organisation and " clanism " which the squatters generally have thought necessary or convenient, has begotten a very exaggerated idea of their own importance in the social scale. A few years of a squatter's life makes a young man whose ideas and aspirations- were bounded by prudent modesty in the beginning, a superior being in his own estimation, the meriiber oft distinct and somewhat aristocratic order." We have no desire to sermonise, nor do we wish it inferred that the remarks we have quoted are altogether applicable to the runholders of Otago, but perhaps for their own sakes it isas Well to address them a word of caution. We will only refer to the experience to be gained, from the example set by their Victorian brethren. These thought when the Gold Fields were first opened that the large wealth they had acquired, and their assumed social superiority, gave them claims to .dictate to every other class. They forgot their own numerical weakness, and that the nature of their occupation requiring very few employes, they could not hope for much political or personal power. They placed themselves in antagonism with the miningcommunity, and they endeavored to monopolise the lands at their own price. They met with a startling retribution. The ' Argus' fulminated the severest attacks on their devoted heads. The cry.was, caught.by the rest of the community; scorn and ; hatred followed on mistrust and suspicion, and the squatters awoke to find themselves the objects of universal dislike. In all the years that have succeeded, the feeling has^'never "worn away; they have found themselves excluded from political power,—they have heard that their very name has passed into a term of reproach with the humbler classes over which they endeavoured to arrogate an ill-timed superiority. How much or how little of this applies to. the runholdeis of Otago let them, themselves, decide. If report speaks truly, some few of themhavedisplayed most obstructive hostility to the progress of miningin their neighbourhood others, it is rumoured, are disposed to bargain, with the General Government to oppose the separation of the two islands, as the price of special protection to the rights they fear may be invaded. We pass no opinion how far these charges are justified, but we earnestly recommend the runholders not to pursue a course calculated to engender hatred and mistrust when every opportunity is afforded them of inspiring confidence and esteem.