THE LAND QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 927, 21 September 1910, Page 5

THE LAND QUESTION.

Sir,—Deferring still ■ further.' • to'' 1 my; scheme. o{ 'land' settlement,-1- call on Mr. G. . W. ; Russell,' 1 . witness-' that I . published in'-his paper some time 'ago ,a : synopsis of it, and lie : ,to acknowledge :that I 'had' advocated it fori many --.: He,, at least,, will not therefore'be:surprised ''to,; find: that : I do not;like ito. see it strangled .and mangled in . the. way ;it ;is proposed to ..lie, ' part of it. giving: been-inserted in tlio"-Land' Set.tlement/Fiiiance, Act, and the other part introduced into the: now land: Bill. „My original: still,' thai an. association ; of intending tenants 'should- exist; -.before'.'any step; is taken to: acquire .land'under -the compulsory; leasing system. ; My reasons . for •coming, ito . this-' Mnclusioja' v ■ (1) Some time must' 1 elapse; between the Government.'takirig possession of .the laud and ; subletting it to tenants. Who,, is going'-to -'pay the-rent during this time? ■; (2) The'. Innd must, be surveyed. . Who ! is to pay-.the.cost of survey? ■.: "• .-.(3): Land 1 must be ..reserved; for. roads.. AVho is. going to. pay. for 'thesa roads? . (i). In the event of allotments not being taken tip,, who is to bear the loss? i'./Now look • at my scheme, and mark ■how ;all the 1 parts dovetail Unto; each 'other-:: ■■'.■■■ (I).' An-association' of .intending tenants must : exist, and be ready to take up the land before .anything is done. . ,:(2)-Each :member or such an association is; to 'take_ uj his allotted area, , or. forfeit, his deposit : of half-a-year's: rent.': ; (3)' The landowner ■ must provide ..the roads, and-'bear the cost-. of survey, and therefore it is impossible that anyone ■shall-make a :loss; ;No condition' is' irn-. posed on anyone -in my scheme which is riot,proper'and praotical. i If a private owner under .the . existing: law -.cuts up! his land for settlement he is bound to reserve , a sufficient': area of . it' ■ for •the. purposes *of .roads, and lie also : must .pay for the survey. Now, why is a scheme so practical and so; workable strangled: and ■ mangled in the way it has been?' The 'association idea is. inserted in' the Land Settlement. Finance lAct, and has proved a fiasco.' Two efforts were made in the Ten}uka' district to form; 1 settlements under. this Act,. with the result that .one : ;of' them fell through; .because it could not raise the. .money.; The.' other settlement ;was. successful, because the Bank of New Zealand lent the money, aiid : thereby hangs a tale- ' : ;v; I do not wish to say anything against that.-Act,...further 'than .that;.it .means borrowing under difficulties, and I object toborrowing, so long' as .it; is possible; to: do without it. Under niy scheme'no borrowing is involved, as .the', landowners lend the land,-, for which they receive a fair rent, and are relieved'of taxation. It may 'bo said that 5 per, cent.. is too high,' but remember, they must btar jthe loss of: the land set apart for roads, the cost of . survey, and other , incidental expenses. 1 When all this is:considered, the Tent will; ba found, as reasonable', as. that proposed: in-the-. new Land; Bill.' ■ As . for the, land . tax, I cannot- see that any. reasonable, man will exact it;from a landowner .whose property, has. been taken; from ■ him, for the ; benefit' of the' public. To impose a land tax on a man who is, forced to lease his land cannot be justified on any ground whatsoever, but,, independent 'of the justice of it,, to remit tax would be wise, because it would have the effect of [popularising the whole scheme, and land settlement would go ahead by leaps and bounds. ■ Landowners. as a' class: are; very. timid, and look: on advanced legislation, and the aggressiveness,-of labour .with" great- concern," and there arc . large . numbers of them who would gladly dispose of their estates on the 'terms I have stated. That being the case, settlement..- would.'be greatly!,facilitated, and' the earth- hunger which every : opportunity for settlement discloses would be soon appeased. I shall, in- a future issue, if . permitted to -do so,-justify my proposal to insert a purchasing .clause in the leases.by proving beyond .a. yestorday of doubt, .that the freehold is the only practicable land tonuro'for. this country .—I am. etc., . J.-.M. TWOMEY. Temuka, September 16, 1910. •