LAND SETTLEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 575, 2 August 1909, Page 4

LAND SETTLEMENT.

DR. FINDLAY ON THE GOVERNMENT'S BILL. ADMITTEDLY A CONCESSION TO THE ' HUSISHOLD. (By Telegraph-Prose Association.) ChrlsUhurch, August, 1. In the courso of an interview ou and tenure on Saturday, the Hon. Dr. l'indlay, Attorney-Goubral, said: ' "We are making a fetish of tenure, and placing that before tho main, purpose- of land scttlonc-.it. The cardinal' aim is not tenu?j, but close settlement, and wo ought to be guided by that tenure which will most cflisctirely promote close settlement, and safeguard the liermanent interests of tho State. .My view, therefore, is that, ii\ determining questions of tenure, it is its main purpose arid not its inherent quality which ought ta be mainly considered.'- ■■■•. "The Special Settlement Finance Bill, which the Government intend to promote af vigorously is possible this year, is. admittedly a concession to. tho freehold,' inasmuch as under that Bill settlers will Ret the .free-, hold'." Tho , sottlors do not purcbaso from the Grown.', but directly from the private , vendors, and the .State -.merely'.' guarantees the whole of tlie purchaso money, but from one point of view the State,is really providing the laud. . . . .-.■■' .:'.-. .. . . ■'.':

"The idea of tho"' Bill was to malto every man who wanted land an active land agent himself, for the purpose of Rotting a Buitflblo area. An association pf ten; or more men might arrange for-the'purchaso of a suitable Mock of '. land from a largo land owner, and tho Crown, being satisfied with the proposed purchase and' subdivision proposed, would: facilitate tho raising of the money,' the- settlers becoming primarily responsible for its repayment, and,giving mortgages over holduigs to ;secure siich repayment;' ■; . ; .''.'■ ; .

Denmark's Examnle. "In' Denmark, the subdivisions are from eight acres upwards, to about 2Do.acres. l'bo Danish land system is a little, complicated, , l but its chief feature is the smallness of tho . subdivisions and the immense inoreaso in ■ the productivity of Danish lands during the laßt 35 years under the now class of peasant pettloment. It is true, that 'tho, peasant , bos the'freehold; < and the "latest".return I' saw showed that 186,000 of theso. small peasant freeholders are now making comfortable livings on: areas from eight acres upwards.' 1 • ' ■ ' • , - : ' 'Tlie State has with groat vigour promoted this: scheme of close settlement, largely assisting agriculture in all its branches, ' and the difforent State agencies have enabled Danish .butter and other farm products to hold tho first place in! tho old world markets. What' strikes, a student of Denmark most is tlio ahseiioo of that haunting fear of Social-,, ism which seems to" obsess Mr.' Massey and some of his friendsi .The -Stato in Denmark '■• <has actively.followed the schomo as it deals., \vith unemployment, careful classification being made between'the unemployed, and what . i navo called' the unemployable. Tboy, liava vigorous people) as, is essential, and it would ,Ik> idle to'deny that their progress lias , been due as much to tho thrift, industry, sobriety, and determination of the people themselves as to. any, assistance given by tho State. : . From Town to Country. • "Tho crowning triumph of tho system has been not only tho chocking.of ; the drift from tho country to the town, but Atkin, >,reviewing the history of Denmark for, the last'forty !

years, finds that tho scheme has turned peoplo back from the town to the country. Town dwellers are settling on small areas of ■' Danish> land. During this period tho. agri- • cultural population of England has declined 60 pbr cont., while the 'citjeg and towns of .England now hold 76 per cent, of the whols population." v ' CROWN LANDS IN AUCKLAND. IS THE OLD'iMEERING SPIRIT DYING! V'-.-r'T*?. ■■. ;■ .■ l . ' .tDy,.Tclegraph-Spccial Correspondent.). ; . • • ' Auckland,' August 1. Tho Commissioner of .Crown Lands for Auok- ,'t land, Mr;. E.C.', Gold-Smith* states that, in tho province of Auckland there aro 442,950 ; across of Crown lands open. Of this, 143,000 is grazing laid' or the first class, which has been improved aiicl is available under the Land for Settlement Act, being resumed estates. Of this', 300. acres' aro'first-class agricultural ■ land. Thore aro 3300 acres of scoond-clasa . i agricultural and pastoral land, and 9000 acres 3 of third-class' or-purely pastoral land under i the same Act. Of unimproved first-class land 1 thore is 4800' acres, and of second-class rural f land 53,500 acres. ' The balance-is in town, 5 village," and suburban lands. By tho end of. - August 'another. 38,000 acres of land will M thrown open, of which 14,000 acres arO'firstI class agricultural land, and September ] , 4200 acres of scoend-class land will be ballotod ■ for. '', . . .. • "On Friday," says the Commissioner, Wfl had a ballot for 32 sections, totalling /000 acres, arid there were nearly 300' applicants. Wo also approved of 22 selections amounting to another 5000 acres, so thoro is nothing in tlifi declaration that thoro is no land to bo had. •Of course," Mr. Gold-Smith;, added, "there are 1 lots of selectors nowadays ;wlw ■ won't go to tho backblocks. 1 The old ( pio. . necring spirit is. dying out, but we can t scarocly bo blamed for that."