THE GOVERNMENT' LAND POLICY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1240, 23 September 1911, Page 14

THE GOVERNMENT' LAND POLICY.

Sir,—'lf any further evidence of the vacillating character of tho Government upon the land issue is required the speech of Mr. G. W. Russell, tho member for Avon, supplies it in the debate upon the Budget. Mr. Russell said "that the country was being settled at an enormous rate under the enactments that enshrined the Government's land policy. Enough land was being opened under the optional tenure to satisfy tho most ardent freeholder." This from an alleged ' leaseholder, -with his flag nailed to the mast- ■ head. Of course, this statement was made after his famous sprint race with "the lumpers' pet," Mr. Laurenson, when the member for Avon, carrying weight for age, was outpaced by his slighter rival for Cabinet honours. But to nark back to a debate upon tho same question on August 3. Mr. Russell then said: "There had been a great falling off in land settlement during the past tivo or three years, particularly last year. Tho area settled was very small. The great blander was that when the Government proposed to sfcnro a block of land it trumpeted its intentions abroad, wil'th the result that prices wore raised, and the Government decided not to acquire.. The Government was very largoly responsible for tho inflated value of land in the past years." Again, in a recent speech to liis wastitueiuts, Mr. Russall said: "ECo was disappointed with the Budget because it mado no reference to tho distribution of tho people on the' land. Sir Joseph Ward made a mistake in .retaining tho Lands portfolio," which' conveys a J;entle hint that he ought to hanil it ovpr to G. W.'Riissoll, to whom it would be no doubt acceptable. Sir Joseph War d was overburdened with portfolios. Mr. Russell would relievo him of his burden. Thoro was a perfect land hunger in tho country. In Invereargill recently there were 1500 applicants for fifteen sections. A more forward land settlement piolicy was urgently needed. Evidently , this aspirant for Cabinet honours keep:? one kind oi a speech on tap for the electors and has another bottled up for his chief. -•I am, ctc., F. W. BURKE.