DEALING WITH THE RUNS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2721, 8 December 1881, Page 2

DEALING WITH THE RUNS.

Mr W. Madden, in moving the second reading of the new Victorian Land Bill said of the portion dealing with the future disposal of the runs :—“ Part 4 of the Bill dealt with the question of runs. It was proposed to subdivide the present runs and offer them to public competition in moderate sized blocks, which would be open to selection as at present. None of the blocks would be larger than a grazing capacity of 4000 sheep or 1000 head of cattle, and most of them would be much smaller. Hitherto the pastoral licenses had been renewed year after year, but the Government now propose that all runs should be submitted to public competition, so that any member of the public might come in and got a run for himself.

"Mr Mirains —Do you limit one person to one run ? “Mr Madden—There was no limit as to that. The right to graze over the runs would be submitted to public competition. The present runs would, as far as possible, be subdivided by taking the present paddock boundaries as boundaries of new runs. The Government hoped to be able to get the whole of them cut up before the end of May, to offer them to public competition in June, and to give possession to the new licensees immediately after shearing, so that while giving the new licensees possession at the earliest possible moment, they would at the same time give the present holders reasonable time to dispose of their sheep to advantage. The grazing capacities of the now runs would be assessed, and Is per sheep would be charged as rent. A nominal sum would be fixed as the upset price, and the bidder of the highest sum above that would become the new licensee. The Government considered that the fairest way of disposing of the runs when they were submitted to public competition.” Figures were placed in the hands of members in reference to pastoral runs, showing that there were now 247 runs carrying under 1,000 sheep ; lOOcirrymg under 2,000 ; 65 carrying under 3,000 ; 66 carrying under 5,000 ; 30 carrying under 7,500 ; 25 carrying under 10,000 ; and 21 carrying over 10,000.; the t■ >t;il quantity of land held being 12,036,017 acres.