THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, JULY 20, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2041, 20 July 1875, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, JULY 20, 1875.

The Eegulations for granting 1 agricultural leases at Ohinemuri have been gazetted. • The delay in bringing them into operation appears to have arisen out of a necessity which exists that the Regulations should be brought before the General Assembly, the Superintendent and Provincial Council not having performed the duty required of them under the Goldfields Act to bring into operation the leasing regulations on goldfield*. Now that they arc published we very much question if they will give that latiifcction which was expected of them

by persons who have evinced such an anxiety to become possessed of land. In the first place the maximum area allowed by the Regulations is 50 acres; the minimum 10 acres. Those who expected to take up 200-acre sections will be grievously disappointed. Regardingtthiss s question of area it has no doubt licen fixed ith a view *to tbc • limited extent of good land really available. The term of lease is 21 years, and the conditions of the lease provide that one tenth of th'o"whole area ffshall blunder'cultiva"-' tion within twelve months from the granting of the loose, or one half the I 'whole area bo substantially -fenced within- 1 the same time; cultivation and other im-; 1 ,-provements must bo "commenced within' three months from the date of .the lease. We daiesay the terms-of the, leases and! fees charged are. similar to those in force ori'oth'er goldficlds, but tho exceptional) circumstances surrounding the Ohinemuri Goldfield would seem to suggest that the; terms for agricultural leases will be ratherj hard. There is no immediate prospect, for instance, of the Government acquiring the fee simple of the land, and it may be that this will not be effected even 1 during the currency of the, twenty-one years' leases to be granted. Should the' latter be the qnse, lessees will have to» pay, .the' following sum^ We^ fake '; the maximum area allowed for our example":—

Of the above ■'amountr£l9 -15s'- will "have to. be paid before the lease,is granted ; that is for application deposit, 1 lease and survey fees, and first year's,rent, buj> the £5 deposit will be-placed to the credit of applicant towards gcncr.il/ expenses. If any reader curious" in the matterViirtake the total' sum, £144 los, (subtract the j25 deposit) and divide it by 2T, * he will discover that the person taking up a lease of 50 acres for 21 years' would pay at the rate of £2 15s 10|d per acre for the land." "This is more than.thq fee simple would be worth,' but .according to the Regulations he' would not then be entitled to, it. In. the event -<of' the Government acquiring the freehold, it is provided that all'applications'made by lessees for the purchase of their leases { shallf be;fqrwarded.to. > the i Warden,, who ( shall report-thereon,-and, then submit the same, together _with_ his report to the Government for consideration. _„ .

- - < £, S d, Deposit-on Application...-- 5 0 0, Lease ' -... ■"-... 5...'-... -I 10 0 Survey Fees— j For 10 acres' ..'. ! £3 0 0") j „40 ..„..,at.25... i 7 0 0 per'acre' '..'. "4 00) j .Bent 21 at £G 5 01 i3l .^ , 0 ' 1 per year ' ...' ... j i j ?'-' >:ri!lfC' :- ■VlssHf Tq