TUAPEKA DEPASTURING DISTRICT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 298, 16 October 1873, Page 7

TUAPEKA DEPASTURING DISTRICT.

(To the Editor.) Sib,— The notice in last " Gazette "of the intention of the Government to lease*? part of the commonage as sheep runs, should stir the miners and stock owners to action. Some back-door influence has evidently been at work, and misrepresentations as to the stock-carrying capacity of the commonage have been made, else the Government would never contemplate such a step. Things are bad enough as they are, as a look at the starved-looking cattle will testify. The commonage is rapidly growing smaller and smaller. During the last six months I should say that at lea3t 6000 acres have been taken up for settlement, and these constitute the very best "(razing land in the district. This process may be expected to continue, indeed to accelerate, for some time to come ; while on the other hand, from the increase of settlers and from more miners keeping a few cows, the number of cattle to be depastured will certainly increase. It is certainly a most extraordinary circumstance that a commonage which was laid off twelve years ago, which has never been considered too large, which has been diminished by between 30,000 and 40,000 acres for settlement, acknowledged by aU to be one of the chief causes which has given Tuapeka the pre-eminent position in the Otago goldfield, and preserved intact by all Governments of all shades of opinion, should now bo be parcelled out into sheep runs by a Government of which fat least in goldfields matters) the leading spirit is one who is well conversant with the needs of Tuapeka. What renders it more extraordinary is the frequent and convincing utterances of this gentleman in reference to the benefits of this commonage, and his successful exertions to secure large additions to it from the Bellamy run. In conclusion, I will venture to prophesy that if even one 10,000 acre block is leased, as proposed, long before the half of the seven years' lease has elapsed; it will be found n&essary to cancel and of course pay the leaseholder a swinging sum as compensation. Perhaps this is foreseen and intended. Let meetings be called in every part of the district to protest against this hole and corner proceeding. — Yours, &c, WIDBAWAKB.-