OUR AGRICULTURAL LEASING SYSTEM.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 313, 17 December 1873, Page 3

OUR AGRICULTURAL LEASING SYSTEM.

( To the Editor. )

Sib, — In your issue of Saturday last appears a local complaining of the bitter feelings which exists between the miners and intending settlers at Tuapeka Mouth regarding the occupation of the soil, and certainly, for so important and aggravating a subject, you have very trivially dealt with the matter iv your columns ; whereas, had the grievance been on the other side, you would not only devote about an inch of space of a passing remark, but a column of well written matter with the most powerful reasoning at your command. If lam to credit your reports of the Warden's Court, I must, of necessity, say it is not a disease of the Mouth — it is a mala y that has spread over the whole body ; for no matter whence an agricultural lease application comes from, ten chances to one but that it is met with a formal objection by miners, and refused accordingly. Indeed, if miners these were, I should not at all be surprised at the present state of affairs ; but our mining population has all but totally disappeared, as may be seen from the absence of any statistical returns of their numbers by our Wardens in their periodical repertp. Now, Mr. Editor, it is very evident that settlement is in the ascendant in Tuapeka, judging from the number of applications for land whi^h appear woekly in your paper, and consequently it should be encouraged by every possible means, the reverse of which is the case at present. I wonder if our Immigration Agents ever lecture to intending emigrants on those daily increasing absurdities j I doubt it. — I am, &c., Jacques. December 15.