THE NORTH ISLAND.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 792, 15 April 1910, Page 3

THE NORTH ISLAND.

GREAT FUTURE FOR THE WAIKATO GOVERNMENT LAND POLICY CRITICISED. Among the Canterbury farmers who have in the last year or two taken up land in the North Island is Mr. David Jones, formerly of Weedon's, who took a prominent part on behalf of the employers in the farm labourers' dispute, was active in the Farmers' Union, and contested the Ashburton seat in the Opposition interest with Mr. 0. F. Clothier. Mr. Jones has taken up some 3000 acres of fern land at Tauwhare, twelve miles from Hamilton. He is now spending a few days in Christchurch. Speaking to a Press representative, Mr. Jones gave some interesting information about North Island affairs. Hβ . deprecated the present attempt to create interisland jealousy. The North Island railways, he declared, suffer from a chronio shortage of trucks and carriages at holiday times. When the trucks are concentrated at the big centres and used for. the carriage of passengers, it is almost impossible for farmers to get supplies. The country is developing very fast, and there ie undoubtedly great need for much more rolling. stock than is at present available. Auckland province, and. especially the Waikato, has without doubt a great future before it from an agricultural point of view. The mild winter and absence of cold winds and. the rich growth of grass make it ideal country for dairying. At present in the Waikato the sheep are mostly coarse breeds, and consequently lower prices are lealised for Auckland mutton on the London markets, but the fat lamb industry is now being taken up in earnest, and with the Down cross that is being raised the quality of a large' portion of North Island fat lambs will be equal to that of Canterbury's fat lambs. Regarding the Government's policy nt land settlement, Mr. Jones said that.when one sees the areas of nnoccupied Crown lands one is struck by the strange policy that is being pursued by the Government. "Take, for instance, Ruapuna Estate, with' which I am familiar, and which was recently acquired by the Government." Mr. Jones continued. "The land is stony and difficult and expensive to work; it is from twelve to seventeen miles from the railway, and under careful management it produces practically as much as it will do under close settlement. At the price paid for it by the Government and with the loading for the expenses connected .with its subdivision, the tenants will have to pay on an average 12s. or more per acre, and it is not worth that. This liolicy of purchasing estates in settled districts while large areas of unoccupied Crown lands are available seems to be pursued in order to sweeten the various constituencies. Meanwhile, on the. unoccupied . Crown lands noxious weeds are spreading, and consequently the value of the land is diminishing. I grant that thoso lands are not 'so accessible as are the. estates purchased in. settled districts, but if people are anxious to acquire land. they ought to be prepared to go where it is available, and put up with 6ome of the difficulties of pioneering work. The present freehold party in the House ought to take advantage of their strong position and force the Government to put these Crown lands on tho market and make them available for settlement, and thus add to the wealth of the Dominion." ; . '

Speaking .of the Native land question, Mr. Jones said that if South Island members of Parliament would only study the subject and see how unjustly the European population are dealt with the evil would soon'be remedied, but presumably because their constituent's are not interested they take no action, and the injustice continues. Tho Main ;Trunk railway lias been put through and near Native lands, thereby ■ adding much to their .value,- but the State is receiving nothing in return. Noxious weeds are gradually but surely spreading over thess lands. The effect of the. .present system on tho Maoris themselves-is .demoralising. They have no incentive, to work, and they live largely on , the rents of land leased to Europeans,, only working when supplies are short. The character of the Maoris consequently suffers.

"The ' Only way to. / stop the degeneration of ,the Maori,"' said -■ Mr. Jones, /'is to make them ehoulder .their responsibilities,. and place the Natives on the same footing as Europeans. The fear is expressed by' some that the Maflris may become the victims of sharp practice, but experience proves that the Maori is quite as able as the European to take care of himself in business."