LANDS FOR SETTLEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 563, 19 July 1909, Page 9

LANDS FOR SETTLEMENT.

statement'-, of'. : tie Artmg-Mmjstervior Lands/ that he did nbl L™ t ™, ahghtest; : alarm regarding• ,theista'tement that large •■numbers ■■ of Now .Zealand tamers were leaving for other :colonids!thi( W^** l *!'?nnomicement .will ; cau 5 pnse to those that are .conversant' with th< te^ 's*s* of T ha the lands*™ settlement -question. In place ■ of. becupyim the foremost plank of the Gbvernm'ont policy it: has rbeen^. abandoned, misleading, "flap, doodle ; serred ; out byMinisters at fiahauets and tadge-opomng.-ceremonies 'can be inEither.from -utterlgnorajico-bf :;the' p bsitioa : or, a 'deliberate, attempt.-to mislead! 'the ; 'pul> lic ) ,vanous..Minis^rrf;are;continaally^TO a feint statements; thai fare^u'tterly: ootftr'ary - 'tb'''th< true;sense of-theiposition;"^.^ri.™:-.;,"* -y Speak'ing;'afc ■ .Gisborne ;'in -June-'• ipnb ;.;/«.■> Prenuer.stattdtthaft^.thfeU^^Witte i*>ttlemeht. ; purpose* acres ,^ and,it,wpuld;-'be-found that-the .GSv'efnmeni had-j provided'..a - ; fair: ':. solnfciori' ■:-&"- 'a; great late;elections; -stated,, that ..the .Government .had- civen'ii sWioM;:to;.have'2ioooiooo'acrer : if.;'J a i ( l turoim.fopen,:f or :).settlerhen-t'. purposcs/'-'anc various:. statements-bf'V: similar ■■ character, and.now. wei: have: the Buddr stating, thatvl9S,ooo acres. are arable fo thatloUOOq acres, of these .lands insist ol 5a Ai- ozen 'P Un iice sheep-runs rangine! frorc SjSB? ioo ° W. year^d^that:the ;balah« f 00 * I **? , ; ?f"broken and inferior second-class lands m.isolated situations, it :will. at'once be,apparent ;to> the, discerning ;; public the stTOiuouS .efforts put : fbrth by the Ward Administration to cope - with: this urgent quest»n/.; A- more pusillanimous exhibition ol utter.,intapa6)ty could;not be .given I r place of encouraging; settlement, their, policis is one. of 'direct .'discouragement. - 'If the Executive-were really sincere over. :this qncs.won,., and:, gave' it ;thcir full consideration ways and means would'soon'-,be found .to acquire suitable ..-Native .lands' for settlement Purposes. .The Maori -is: anxious to: sell; ; anc continually Complains of ;the ■: unjust method! ofrthe-Governrnent *ih., prohibiting competition;. in-tne :purchase, ,bf-.- their-Ilands.' in jßlaco.sof ■: encouraging; the. present: specu?,Natiye;lands;by :agents;qmrelarge -blocks, and hold then for specnlativp. purposes, •', the •Government l°9m, ; br.otherwrneanay c havt the whole bf these lande brought under State trust; administration, to be, disposed of undei optionartpnuro..;'':. 1 ;'--;'' ;V '' V -V -"•:■ -" ?'•' *. i attempt-.shouldvbe- ma'de tc do; away;.wit^the speculative;: ballot/system in dealing: with lands for settlement." Th< Government: .should ..fix.-, a Reasonable .upset; and offer all, ands-for sale by public auctioni the sum ;realised;- above 'upset,-to 'bo added to thecapital.:valUe,.to be paid for oncompletion purchase, but not to be credited with or rent, charges: unless capitalised ,m the oase ( of leasehold land*, and then only ;to_be paid :after.a -stated number? ol years.;, When •throwing 'open.; lands in ieofc ted country the Government should 'endeavour to havo .as many .sections as ' possible grouped together, 1 so 'as to" enable the settlers to-be entitled to roads, schools, post office,,stores,, etc;y ...thus giving:.:th'em' enfonragement; to make homes with their families. - When throwing .open; small sections •' ol tmder 200 acres at is essential that the land should be of ,tho"best.description,: as'niacins seMers^n '.small blbdks of",poor lahef'must eadrn the farmer abandoning his section. Ii a vigorous policy 'of .'lands-'for settlement- ha<i been, carried but, during; the past, :we should nave-heard buf little of the unfortunate "iihemployed or bf: the; falling "revenue of the Dominion/ And even now, surely:it would be .the.; wisest-method of dealing!with' thi< question; for, after'all is said'and "done.-the relief works now under, way: must soon comt to an; end, and, the/position" will'be contiiiu'a »y; getting.,worse,,, wbereas; in thocase'ol land.-settlement:.'the more 'land-is 'taken ur the; more it-13 continually .requiring -labour rhe,land;questi6n:,is the .crux of all economic questions, .and-invplace.'of ; being deleted should;undoubtedly, be the foremost plank in our administration.-, ■',;. .-..'-v.; /. ■>. .

.., It is: the-interest am j duty of every elector to .demand .-,that... a: progressive .and business'' ! mothpd of dealing: with waste .lands of every description be at'once inaugurated.' But it seems hopeless teAexpcct anything in tho shapo of bonofieial legislation, from i.the •present executivo, who, in place'of endeavouring to ' meet■• the urgent needs ; of. tho community, mako porenniaF.poregrinations to all parts of:the country on ovory conceivable pretext, fromtho flooding of a ditch to the banquotlng of a The Dominion from end" to endigßsps: in;amazement at the'flood of T»p«nry promises and mis-statements which theee hen. gentlemen consider;to be.an adequate return for the 'large' salaries wo pay' them. ~-. Bnt'let-us hope that near future a salutary'lesson will bo taught them, ! and in • place, of these, muddlers ~'W every measure they try their 'prentice'/hands qn, : tho Dominion will havo a body of honest aridcapablo patriots, who, whilst subordinating their personal desires arid-advancement,'' will make a .i,strenuous and successful effort.- to-i rescue the ; Dominion, from theUdeplorablc state ,: i of?,..,restless K uncertainty..; and ;pf; approaching mongrol Socialism, stagnation, and collapse.—l am, etc., July 12. , .'. I^uNItSBEKEE.