Correspondence.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3833, 11 April 1881, Page 2

Correspondence.

The.ib uoluiutix tire open toallcorre3poMtttsncbi.lt publio interest, but we do not hold ourselves resnonsible or (.he opinions of writers. Correspondence must in al ?ases be authenticated by the real name and address of the writer—not necessarily tor publication, but as (i guarantee of good faith.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.)

Sir, —As the Board of Governors of the Thames High School have intimated their intention to offer to the public at an early date leases for 31 years of a portion of their endowment at Te Aroha, I venture to ask for space in your columns for some remarks thereon. It is, I believe, intended thai' the rent shall be 1\ per cent, on the selling value of the land at auction, the minimum upset price of which will be, I am informed, not less than £4, and, perhaps, a great deal higher. In other words, the practical result will be, that, for the privilege of being permitted to occupy and improve land now entirely in a state of nature, and which has no special advantages, being at a distance of nearly forty miles from the nearest and only available market, the purchasers of these leases at the n inimum upset price of say £4 would'have to pay a yearly rental of 6s an acre, which rent would be proportionately increased as the upset price may advance at auction. As to the condition that the tenant will be paid for his im provements at the termination of his lease —which would appear to be the only real inducement to a poor man tp employ his labour and spare cash in such an undertaking—the whole thing looks so far ahead in the future as to be doubtful. There appears no guarantee that these conditions can be fulfilled, nor is there any provision for the complications which will arise shouid the tenant's improvements nearly amount to, or exceed, the then selling value of the land. I make these remarks in no hostile spirit to those who have charge of the Aroha land endowment ; on the contrary, I am anxious to see the High School a success. These gentlemen are quite justified in making all they can out of their trust, but I believe they, with others, have an exaggerated notiou of its value. Many purchasers of wild land in the Upper Thames and in other places south of Auckland have made similar mistakes, and are now lowering their prices. I think the present idea of the value of such land is too high. Whether I am singular in that opinion or not, time will show, but I will, with your permission, give my reason for it iv a future letter.— I am, &c, A Colonist.