NO. V.

Southland Times, Issue 620, 18 January 1867, Page 6

NO. V.

Having described the character of the country I have visited, and the operations that art °beirig '■■ carried on in the way of improvements,: : -I; shall endeavor :.to : -show more^ foUy. the effect] [the New Zealand and Australia* Land. Company. will have on the" f attire of Southland.; The parchased land ■ already held by the Company amounts to -123,000 the larger portidn'-df which" will -be under; cultivation ; during this year. This Association comprises all the Stations as the Company's. It is a. Scotch Association that owes its existence to the enterprise '[ and energy of James Morton, Esq., GHasgoir. This gentleman some four years since- Having formed a high estimate of the. capability. -of Southland as an agricultural country determined to invest a large amount, and induced others to do likewise. Thus the various stations 'that^JL have termed the Company's, although not-held by one Company were owned by parties who werfl all more or less associated in the colonizing enter? prise. The Associa<ion of which I^npw speak isan amalgamation of the whole with greatly increased capital. Its shareholders are among jfche wealthiest men in GHasgow. I take the following extract from a prospectus that was drawn up for private circulation. " The property consists .of about 170,000 acres of freehold land, in the. provinces of Otago and Southland, now being rapidly enclosed and improved. It further states, that it is believed that before this year expire* that there will be from 20, 000 to 30,000 acre* fenced in and in course of being laid down in. English grasses. Erom -my previous letters it will be seen that this was a very moderate e"sti* mate nearly three fourths of that quantity being already under cultivation in Southland alone, and I am informed that extensive operations are being carried on in the Company's station in the district of Oamaru, Otago province. The capital of the Company is £2,00^,000, divided into 20,000 shares of £100 each and no allotment for a less sum than £5,000 of shares was permitted. This large t>um has been raised without the stock having been placed in the market. The Company's operations though not confined to Southland, what may be termed its permenant estate, is chiefly in this province, and the success that has attended the wool-growing experiment of sheep farms of limited extent highly cultivated has teen of a character so satisfactory; that much leager operations are contemplated. It fact from. the progress that has been : made by the < Company's during the last three years it is not tin-" reasonable to anticipate that in the course of two years more the amalgamated Association will hare 200,000 acres under crop. The system ■of farming adopted must eventuate in the prosperity of this province. It is not to the actual operations of the Company itself that I . look for so desirable a result. The example it sets, the proof it supplies that well worked blocks ' of moderate size are more profitable to the owner than large uncultivated rims, will hasten the time when all he land of the province will be increased in value. When the stock now depastured will be increased tenfold, and, as far as wool is concerned, each sheep doubled its quantity. The main object of the Association is the growth of superior wool, but its operations are not confined to that, , The growth of grass seed barley for malting purposes, brewing &c., is on an extensive scale carried cut.' In addition to the magnificient flour mill now approaching completion at Woodlands,; a large -and; substantial, malting establishment, and a brewery are to be erected in Invercargill, the machinery for which I believe is now on the way from home The samples of barley that have 'been sent from Southland to- England and Scotland, have been pronounced by the most competent judges to be of a very superior description — the exact . thing for malting. After careful deliberation the home directors of the company have arrived at the conclusion that Southland has within its grasp the malt market of all the Australias. The importation of malt from Great Britain to the Australian 'colonies is estimated at 2,000,000 bushels per year, and it is believed that with proper appliances this province can supply ig betterarticle at a much smaller cost. From a document T ; have 'read containing the opinion of competent men upon this question, it r is plainly demonstrated that Southland can successfully compete with the world in the production of this grain, and fh at for the Australian market it is especially adapted. That the cost of airtight cases,. and the risks of a', long sea voyage are so great that malting in Southland must if extensively carried on. with .adequate appliances must speedily supersede British importations. To accomplish this . much capital, energy and Bkill will be required, and these the company- is able and determined to supply. This cannot .fail to prove beneficial to Inyercargill, and to the province generally. ... • . . .-. . I think that the confidence the 'capitalist, and practical men of the home- country have evinced in the capabilities '^SP 1 this province shouldo give Bpirit to those who have an interest here to .push forward the particular, enterprises they ar engaged in. . The fixed impiession in my mind 'from what" I have seen during my trip is, that Southland is unsurpassed, if not. superior to any other portion <of New Zealand asa field for enterprise and industry. The clearings I have'in.spected give ample evidence that moderate sized farms, say from 1000 to 5000 acres, if properly cultivated, on the system of uniting pastoral with agricultural working — the laying down the pastoral sections with English grasses, and carrying on agricultural operations in accordance with British methods —is adopted, profitable employment for thousands wjll be . found for the laborer, and considerable benefit to the capitalists secured. It is patent that if by cultivation an acre of land; can be made to carry three sheep, and that -at a nominal cost, and grain of a superior quality ;_ can /be. grown at a lesser rate in this Province* than , in. any qi the Australias, . that Southland does in a measure possess advantages for" settlement iin excess of any other* that" I havei-visitedy-'and li-have -visited -most> of ithe Australian colonies. The advantages she' offers may be rammed up v great fertility of Milt ajsQ

«k>uifcm |flen^fr-o{lt«6t'B3v great national drainage, and an exce.Ue^t.dimate.,., .T>e.Qnly drawback to "progress uftiie want of roads. As this Bubject ■will require considerable space, I shall make it the subject of my final letter. " -■ , : .'; "' '. ' ; +'■; — ■— -••■• . - - . - ■ noY vl .■ Mi . , Itt previous letters I think that from facts and figuresithas been shown that this province contains land of the highest value, and is capable of maintaining a 'large population. Still I cannot close my eyes to the evidence everywhere presented itself," that unless facilities for interior communication, can be given the progress that might be made will for a long period be procrastinated. It is stated as an acknowledged fact thnt the difference between good and bad roads' is simply th^ difference between profit and loss. I can now thoroughly realise this. Many farms I visited were leaving to rofc produce much •wanted in town, and that would even be profitable as exports, if facilities for cheap transit were afforded. "Whereever I went there was the same complaint, the want of roads. All cultivators, both large and small, were highly eulogistic as to the capabilities of the country, and all unanimous in their opinion as to the necessity of increased facilities for the transit of the articles they can produce to a sea-port, and declared this to be the only drawback to steady and certain prosperity. The great question to my mind is, how are these facilities to be secured ? It is evident that little can be expected to be done by the Government, and it is equally evident that unless^ something is done the province will retrograde instead of advance. The difficulties that cluster round the province are great, and I am aware that the General Government will not help it oiat of the mire, still it is I am convinced able to extricate itself, and that speedily if allowed to do so. I cannot too strongly urge upon the Provincial Council to take up this subject, and grapple with it in a spirit of determination' to do something. To talk of expensive railways at the present time would be folly, but I could not but feel in travelling over the beautiful country Ihave traversed that no part of the world presented greater facilities for light railways or tramways, or even road making. If I can judge from the tone and conversation of the settlers of the Eastern district they would unite to construct a fair road themselves, provided some assistance was afforded by the government, if even the objectionable system of tolls had to be adopted. So anxious are they for roads or tramways that I believe if a lease for a given number of years was offered them, they would unite to a man and co-operate in constructing a good line for traffic from Invercargill to the Mataura. In fact I feel confidence that there are parties now ready to form a double line of tramway the distance I have mentioned if the slightest inducement was offered, not with the object of making a profit out of it, but simply to aid them in. their colonising enterprises. I would urge the Council to deliberate upon the practicability of a scheme whereby companies might be formed and tramways constructed. Such a scheme it appears to me more than feasible, and if adopted would in a few years extricate Southland from ail its difficulties, render it prosperous, and mike it the garden of New Zealand. Suppose for instance, that one half the width of the present main-roads were offered to be placed at the disposal of a company, with a lease for a given number of years upon condition that it constructed a substantial double line of tramway, what would be : the effect upon the Province ? It would not interfere with ordinary road traffic as fortunately our main lines are wide enough for both roads and tramways, the land would immediately increase in value, cultivation would be multiplied, and prosperity ensured. Surely even the General Government could not object to this ; it would double the value of its mortgage, and ensure the speedy payment of the debt. I throw this out as a suggestion, leaving all to take it for what it is worth, but I do trust that the Council will not dissolve without adopting some scheme for inland communication. The dottingß of my " visit to the Eastern District" are ended.