THE LAND ACT IN WORKING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 114, 6 February 1908, Page 6

THE LAND ACT IN WORKING.

Ay interesting position arising out bl the working of the Land Act of last Session Kai been causing a good de&l of newspaper discussion in the South Island. The question raised is ail important one, aild that it- is sb'mething more thai ft mefe aC&deiaie point' is evident from the faot that one Canterbury journal on Tuesday referred to it in a brief editorial nfttfe aS " The Land Scandal." Under the Act of last session a Land B&ai'd maj'j witlr tlife approval of tli.e Minister, grant a rene\4 able lease of any allotment ofi Jili'acquired estate to any person who has been employe! by -tne late owner for, at least five years immediately preceding the acquisition bf .the land,'and who by feuch acquisition hai been deprived of his employment. The, Government recently acquired the Otekaike

state from Messrs. Robert Campbell id Sons, anrl some of the employees ive taken advantage, of the preference, ause referred to. Ori6 of thfem has cured a holding 6f 11,500 acres of istoral land, and 864 acres of what is iclared to be fine flat agricultural land. : is further stated that there are sis nail sheep runs in the subdivision, ; tfhich three, cohtaining 16,400 acres : grazing and 2344 acres of agricultral land, hav6 been reserved for emloyees, leaving three, containing 3,150 acres of grazing, and 1407 ;res.of agricultural land, for occupa-oh-by the public. A great of jeling exists at this dxtreine woriting lit bf the preference clause, and there : talk of an improper interpretation | f the Act in Connection with the matir, especially as it is stated that two I the " employeeswho have taken p selections under the special indulence allowed to them have not teen mplo'yecl ; oh. Otekaike at all. • The linister for. Lands is being advis,ed fom some quarters to suspend the peration of the clause in' future, and ntil Parliament has dealt-again with lie question. One certain fact about he business is that the clause which as caused' all the trouble may work ut very much to the disadvantage of lany applicants for land. The priniple of the clause is,by no means a iad one, but. it Can easily be stretched ato'injustice by a too-ready Jlinisteial approval of'a Land Board's carets granting bf the lhdulgertces placed n it's hands for disposal. One loyal Ournalistic supporter., of the Goyernnent has said that " the simple truth s that the very first application of ' tins preference clause-' has : shown it to'be msound." The matter ls one that calls 'or some explanation by the Minister, ind in the meant im6 it may be worth 10ting that the clause which ; has voi-ked so inequitably in practice w,is itoutly defended by the Minister last session. As time passed we:may expect to se<i Other tfauses;_and other prinjiples of thb Act proving to be .any* ;hing but the blessings anticipated.,,;-