No. 42.
Memorandum of Alex. Cairns for the Hon. the Colonial Secretary.

A Memorial from the tenants of the above-named reserve has been lately sent to the Colonial Government to Auckland, and Mr. Alex. Cairns, of Dunedin, had the honor of submitting the subject thereof yesterday to the Cabinet.

A desire to facilitate any further consideration which the Cabinet may be pleased to bestow upon the matter, induces Mr. Cairns to take leave to furnish the Hon. the Colonial Secretary as below, with a brief résumé of the principal points respectfully urged:—

1.	An equitable reduction of the oppressively high rents now claimable, in consideration of the circumstances that those rents were originally agreed upon during an abnormally flourishing period of trade, and that the normal state of trade which has since returned is inadequate to sustain the same high rents. The trustees of Church property in Dunedin hare granted a reduction of rents of the nature here specified to their lessees.
2.	To promote the permanent interests of the reserve property and of the tenants by granting the latter leases for a term of years, instead of the present precarious tenure from year to year. The Provincial Government of Otago are letting the Harbour reclamation land under leases of ninety-nine years, and the tenants of the reserve would be grateful if the Colonial Government would grant them a similar extension of leases.
3.	The especial desirability of negotiating immediately with the Provincial Government of Otago for the purpose of securing back approaches from the Harbour reclamation laud to the tenants on the reserve before the present opportunity of doing so is missed. If the portion of the Harbour reclamation land which commands such approaches is meantime leased away, an opportunity of permanently enhancing the value of the reserve property to all parties interested shall have been lost.