DOMAIN LANDS.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1388, 26 May 1881, Page 3

DOMAIN LANDS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — If the suggestions, by Burge«s, in your last issue, in lefeience to the Borough Endowments can be entertained by the Council, I see no reason, with the same principle underlying, why, some similar arrangements may not be entered into in the matter of the Domain Lands. True, most of these are now leased ; still there can be nothing to prevent the Board making agreements with the lessee?. In speaking of improvements I intend referring more particularly to iruit raising. At the same time building 3 should be provided for under the same scale as suggested by Burgews. That the climate and soil in this neighbourhood is suitable to the growth of fruit can easily be seen and it is worth considering as an industry, seeing the large importations that arrive regularly from the other older colonies and America. Speaking of this culture a writer in Sydney states that with care an orchard should yield at from £100 to 400 per acre profit, and taking the lower sum, it is deserving of some amount of consideration to devise means for inducing people to start such an important undertaking in our midst. The figures before alluded to refer to profit, to obtain which it is not difficult to judge what amount of outlay for labour, &c, would have to be expended before this would accrue. It would provide, too, a kind of work suitable for women and children in picking, packing, and preparing for market or preserving. For the same reason as put forward by "Burgess," I should suggest an allowance of one-half for improvements at the expiration of leases. Keeping the interests of both sides equal, there might be some question arise as to how you are to arrive at the value. Tnis, however, is only a matter of detail. It might be got at by taking the mean of the last five years' profits, and then putting to auction with this as upset price, or in other ways which can be communicated if sufficient interest on the part of our City Fathers is evinced in the matter. — I am, &c, Bridge Toll.

An engine-driver in the employ of Mr John Reid, Elderslie, met with an accident through the bursting of the boiler of an engine driving a chaffcutter. A piece of casting struck him on the forehead, inflicting a nasty wound.