South Canterbury Times, THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1882.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2789, 2 March 1882, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1882.

The immense and unexpected success of the sale of runs in Otago indicates a full appreciation of the value of the pastoral lands of the colony, and is eminently cheering in its financial results. Something like £70,000 has been added to the year’s revenue, a fact which taxpayers will specially observe with joyful anticipation. Otago of course utters her usual petulant whine, —we quote our contemporary the “ Otago Daily times”:—

Next year a further area of about two millions of acres will be offered, and it is quite evident that Otago is retaining its character of being the good milch cow of the colony, which can always be relied on. But Otago comforts herself in the “ you-just-wait-a-bit ” style :

It is impossible not to feel some regret that something like two-thirds of the amount will be expended outside of Otago; but henceforth the claims of Otago for liberal expenditure out of the next loan, for the making of the Otago Central and other much needed lines of railway ’to open up the country, will surely be irresistible.

From this we may expect the Otago members to be “ sturdy beggars ” in the House. It is good that Otago should be taught that she cannot live for herself only, hut must cheerfully do her part to build up the general prosperity. Save that Otago growls, there is nothing but general satisfaction at the unlooked for success of this measure. What strikes people at first as singular, to say the least of it, is that all this land is being re-sold in big blocks, leaving out of the competition the man of limited capital. The “ shepherd kings ” are again to possess the land. This, to many people, gives the business the look of a smart trick for raising the wind. We are quite alive—say they—to the necessity for the Government getting money, and the Otago lands are undoubtedly theirs to handle. But we should like to be assured that there will be sufficient land opened up in small lots to meet the requirements of an increasing number of people with limited means.

We believe a number of blocks will be put up on deferred payment terms —and at that sale there will doubtless be a crowd of buyers. The deferred payment system taken generally is not an unmixed good. It leads to a great many persons rashly assuming liabilites they are not able to discharge after a few months. But it has its advantages. It certainly helps numbers of persons to acquire homes and farms, who would never without this do so. There are numbers of steady calculating persons ready to take advantage of this mode of purchase, and prepared to carry into their farming operations both skill and industry. It is satisfactory to know and it ought to be generally understood, that a large quantity of the agricultural land has been reserved. The large blocks just disposed of are fit only for grazing purposes. The immense value to the colony of its wool production inclines us to think the Government showed wisdom in leaving the great runs intact; while the revenue now derivable from them is alone a very considerable item, enough, indeed to pay off the interest on a good slice of our very considerable national debt. But the policy of cutting up these splendid properties (for most of them really are splendid) would have been a mistaken one, and would have brought to the colony a less reliable and steady revenue, and less material production than these runs owned and worked by men of capital. We hope to seethe big runholders and the owners of little blocks working working harmoniously, without being pitted against each other as has been the case in other colonies to the entire upsetting of the social and political fabric and the retarding of national progress.