The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1888. HOW NOT TO DO IT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1960, 3 October 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1888. HOW NOT TO DO IT.

No better example of the how-not-to-do-it method which eeems to be the favorite study of the mind ministerial m all parta of the world — or at least m those parts of it which are under British rule — is to be found anywhere than m connection with the course taken by the .Government of New Zealand when it offers land for sale. Any private vendor would do his best to make the fact known to as wide a circle of possible purchasers as he could, but the Wellington authorities scorn to follow so com-mon-sense a precedent and generally content themselves with publishing notices m the Government " Gazette " and sticking up placards at railway stations and post offices which very few people read and still fewer understand. Anent this fatuously imbeuile pennywise and pound foolish system, a contemporary, the « Wairarapa Daily" thus amusingly discourses. It says "Let us assume that a hundred acres of splendid undulating alluvial land, watered by a perennial stream, lightly timbered, with frontage to a formed road, and cqu-

tiguous to a railway station, obtainable on a titlo all but equal to a freehold by an .annual payment of ten pounds, would not scores aye hundreds of people, jump at such a chance if they , only had it brought under their notice ? Such chances are put m the " Gazette," disguished m official language m something like the following termg : — lOn and after the 31st inst., the following sections will bo open for selection : 99a Or 30p, section IV, Block, XXXr, X.Y.Z., Survey District.' It is m this lucid and admirrairable manner that our Land Departments parade before the public choice allotments. Applicants for laud are strangled with red tape, and those who are not applying are deemed altogether uninterested m the settlement of the country. It is quite certain that a much larger area of land could be profitably settled under the leasehold system, a system which is practically the stepping stone to the freehold title, if the land available for settlement were brought under the notice of the public m an attractive manner. As a rale when the Government doea make a faeble effort m this direction something extremely foolish is the result. For example some time ago views of the Hot Lake district were lithographed m the colony at a considerable expense and sent home to England for distribution there. Pictures of the most sterile and barren portions of New Zealand were absolutely sent to the British farmer to frighten him away from the colony. If m .the present Ministry there is a man with brains he ought to be put m charge of the portfolio of Minister for Lands." The " Daily " is quite righ m its contention that reform is demanded, but we do dot think the fault lies m a deficiency of brains on the part of Mr .Richardson. It lies m his adherence to the traditionary policy of his Department, and m a foolish notion that a pound saved m the cost of advertising is a pound gained to the colony, whereas it often represents a loss to be measured only by tens or hundreds.