The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1884. THE OTAGO DUMMIES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1152, 15 March 1884, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1884. THE OTAGO DUMMIES.

The Land Board of Otago, has, for over twelve months, been in very hot water. It will be remembered that a large quantity of land was thrown into the market in Otago about twelve months ago, and that the area that any one man was allowed to purchase was limited. We do not remember the number of acres each purchaser was allowed to take up, but, so far as we can recollect, it varied according to the quality of the land. In consequence of this limitation as to area several large runs were cut up into two or more blocks according to their extent, and offered for sale separately, andj as a matter of course, those who had hitherto leased them felt they had been treated very badly in being debarred from purchasing them. When these people found their holdings cut up as indicated, they resolved to circumvent the law. They purchased that part of their runs attached to their homesteads, and then provided others with money to buy the adjoining lots. The latter class of purchasers were not, of course, bona fide. ones. They were generally hangers-on of the squatters, who would keep the land in their own name until they succeeded in getting a clear title to it, when they would transfer it to the real purchasers. These have been called dummy purchasers, and it is over this class the Laud Board has had all the trouble for the past twelve months. Some of the big landowners have gone to enormous expense in their efforts to secure the land in this underhand way. They have actually brought some of -their friends from the adjoining colonies to act as dummies for them at the sale ; they employed lawyers to watch their interests at the Land Board meetings, they have appealed to the Supreme Court against the decisions of the Land Board, and they are fighting still. Some of them, however, have got the worst of it, and without doubt the credit of unearthing their questionable conduct is due to Mr Stout. He brought the matter before the Land Board, of which, fortunately for the colony, he is a member, and insisted upon the production of proofs of the bona ides of those on whom suspicion rested. The result was that enquiry after enquiry was held, and witness after witness examined, the whole proceedings tending to show that bullock-drivers, shepherds, and others, who could not possibly have the means to.buy the land, had got possession of large tracts of it, ostensibly by having the money provided for them by the big landowners in whose employment they had previously been. These inquiries have terminated disastrously to some of the monopolists. The Land Board has unanimously refused to issue licenses to eight persons in the (Strath-Taieri district, and have concluded that they shall forfeit all the money they have paid as well as the buildings and other improvements they have made on the laud. This is pretty stiff on them, but it is just what they richly deserved. And yet the Land Board has not given satisfaction to the people of Dunedin. Last Monday evening a public meeting was held in'that city to condemn the action of the Board in aot cancelling the licenses of Messrs Borthvvick and Hertslet, who are suspected of being dummies for a Mr Orbell at Waikouaiti. One of the resolutions carried is as follows : —“ That this meeting, believing that the provisions of the Land Act have been infringed by Messrs Borthwick and Hertslet, respectfully requests the Minister of Lands to vindicate the law, either by appeal to the Supreme Court or otherwise.” It appears that Messrs Stout, Duncan, and Bradshaw did their best to cancel this license, but they were beaten by the majority, and the meeting passed a resolution thanking them. We Lave not space at our disposal to give any of the evidence which came out at the inquiry, but we may say that it appears to ua Mr Orbell is the real purchaser, and that Messrs Borthwick and Hertslet are mere dummies. Such is the state of things with regard to land in Otago briefly told. It shows that' men will resort to any available means to secure their own selfish ends. Amongst those who in this underhand way have tried to circumvent the law are men of high social standing, men of wealth and influence. Perhaps some of them are Justices of the Peace. Some of them have refused to give evidence, others have taken oaths which the Land Board would not believe, and all of them have conspired to break the law. Had they a less democratic Land Board to | deal with they would have secured their I

ends, and the law might go and whistle

once they had obtained a clear title to the land. It is evident from all - the circumstances surrounding these proceedings that the most stringent measures are necessary to prevent the accumulation of largo estates, and in our opinion the most effective way to do this is to sell no more land. Some people talk about free trade in land. On free trade in land the prosperity of the countay depends. Now what is free trade in land ? Is it not the right to purchase laud without the slightest limitation or restriction wherever one can find it ? and what is this but giving greater facilities to moneyed men to accumulate large estates ? Wo shall return to this subject again.