MR BATHGATE ON NEW ZEALAND.

Temuka Leader, Issue 255, 10 April 1880, Page 3

MR BATHGATE ON NEW ZEALAND.

Mr Bathgate, 111 his lectures on New Zealand, unless be is much misreprenen ed, has ( says the Otago Times) been making some remarkable statements, The other dry we were brought up all standing by the assertion attributed to that worthy gentleman, that an income of LI 200 a year could be got out of a farm of 500 acres. We have since come the'following in a s corn! notice William Chambers of Judge Bath]*ate’s lectures, in (< Chambers’ Journal/’ Nov. 22 :— ‘ first-class agricultural land, as that of New Zealand is proved to be, fenced and improved, and con- ' veniently situated, must be regarded as low in price eslimat d at, L2U per acre. Thr. e pounds per annum of clear profit from the proper cultivation of such land is under the average. Wo are informed ,-f.an instance of a setter purchasing 200 acres impioved land at Ll 5 per aero, air! clearing his whole purchase ’ ike bom his first crop. But taking •he'low average mentioned, it is highly i nprol-aUe that good land will remain at its | n sent value. As society progresses in population and wealth, and as new , branches of industry develop and prosper, so will the value of land steadilyincrease.” We have quoted the passages here which ’’strike us with a sense of novelty. We realy wish we could beleive-all this as i-eadily as does Mr Chambers. In a P.S. to his article he refers to the visits of the delegates from the Lincolnshire farmers to obtain 1 information, and remarks hat it was quite nnn eessery. as they could have obtained all the information they required from Judge Bathgate. We imagine the Linco’nshire .niVii will prefer getting an independent report from men v.bo do not jiahilually wear highly colored spectacles. It-seems that Nlr ■Batligate is about to . üblish a book on N*"' Zealand. Cannot some of his ' ’ nit nds telegraph to him the laconic advice, “ lion’t ?” At least -it is to be h,op:d ft;- !-i-' civ it’s ; ah. -that some one v : q; I+rCghim judiciouslyto. tone it