DUMMY APPLICATION FOR LAND.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 358, 23 May 1874, Page 3

DUMMY APPLICATION FOR LAND.

{To the Editor.) Bm,— l'erave a small space in your paper to draw attention to the manner in which the fariied area of land available for settlement. ihr agricultural purposes' in this district is' ling mqnopolished 'by a few sheep farmers •d land^e&dators, under the Agricultural j Wring Begulations, by the aid of dummies, ; ■d in eVinoir of the law. If it "is true that j AiAgricnltujal Leasing Begulations do not' Mbict thftarw^nat^ay be held under lease ' ly one pbrsoVTto 200 or more acres, wherebre the 'afeooisity of employing dummies ? Ihy put the applicant to so much trouble ?' [have been informed of one instance where

fee services of a hone and trap were required • convey .a reluctant dummy to the hind jjplied for. It is a matter of regret that so feny person* allow themselves to be made' fti tools of those whose greed for monopoly, ifntiafled, would tend to depopulate this fctrict, and convert the' surrounding hills and Alleys into a dreary sheep Walk, where, inted of comfortable homesteads and fields of •wing corn, You might, see a shepherd's hut ttd hear' ibhe mceesi^nt bleating of sheep. To •bow that I hare not drawn an exaggerated Jetare, I will refer to that portion of block t,Tuapeka East, between Bow Bells Mat and S«ppy r«3l#y F»rm^ and in line of the pro|Md riad from Lawrence to Waipori vki Wngtowo. Mr. Bastings stated at a meeting » Wetheftitonet that he would urge upon ttwovernment the construction of the road •faded to, -with the view of opening up in 4it direottOQ ft large tract of country siut«Me f or settlement, and I believe succeeded » getting' the TOftd suroyed. Now/ Sir, I w« no^entaiion in saying that one or two hdmduais of squatting propensities are, by fte aid of Anmmiee, endeavorine to. acquire fOMesrion for pastoral purposes of what may N called the key to settlement in that direcJwn, and thereby securing undisturbed moIppoly of all the land adjoining. There are INny pitches in the block referred to suitable wr agriculture, in which persons of limited •*•»• cOuld, by combining farming with fcrfping i "few head of cattle and other infcwtrr, make comfortable homes, which if W to the present applicants for pastoral pttpom ia Uock* of 1000 or more acres wiU Maude ftny farther settlement is that direction. IfttoAfricultural Le«ing Befulations ■n baft jfaw •honld to taken at once to Mitaon ttwfcfi»l*tnr# to amend them, for lUbenre»^l»caiti»«,ty which one person

can aoquire an, monopoly; of the Crown lands in this district,' are not "soon" altered, it w not difficult, to foresee that in ,a ■hort time there will not remain one acre 'Available for commonage or settlement. Clearly the remnant of mining population in our midst will hare to retire, and make room for sheep. . It is a well known fact that the miners in the district, from the circumstance that' in most cases they hare large families depending on their precarious earnings, are not enabled to lease large blocks of land.' Deprive them of the advantage of keeping a few head of cattle and cultivating a few acres of garden, for which they contribute to the revenue in the way Of cattle fees and miners' rights, and' you lose a class who have been the pioneers of settlement in this as well as other parts of the province, and who have contributed and still contribute more to the progress and prosperity of. this district thah any other claws. In conclusion', I would suggest that the Superintendent be petitioned to withdraw from the operation of the Agricultural Leasing Regulations all Crown lands situated say within five miles of mining seti tlements, such as Wetherstones and the Blue Spur, suoh lands to be reserved for special and for commonage and other public purposes. — I am, &c, A Mineb. Wetherstones, 21st May.