LAND HUNGER.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1280, 8 November 1911, Page 4

LAND HUNGER.

Sir,—lt is very seldom one hits the privilege, on taking up a public newspaper in the colony, not to see some comment on till! result of sonic deputation waiting on the poor Minister for Lands, re tho above heading. Kir. I ask when such is (lie cusp, and such an insatiable thirst is on "n* the cry out for land," why is it I hut a forest reserve in the Awatere liivcr Iyd, Marlborough County, is not in its entiretv put up to public auction or tender tor the bona lide settler? A part of the late prison labour plantation camp, or forest reserve, has been let for some. sfl odd pounds, comprising acres or thereabouts to a bona tide settler; the balance of about another oftO acres is presented to the local constable for looking after it, to graze with sheep, etc, AV ho, may I iisk, is the person, v»ho lins the power to do thc-o sort of things? Surely it cannot be on the plea of preserving and protecting the trees; as it is verv well known amongst practical men, stock ami trees don't go well together. Enough nionev has been spent 011 this reserve. AVliy is it, 1 ask, not put up, for tlie public to have a buck at? The State nursery has been cut up and leased, after the many thousands of pounds spent on it, for the lessee's stock to rub I heir backs on instead of making if one of the beauty spots of the fai-tamcd Awatere, as a domain, or, better still, a sanatorium for the insane, instead of criminally heaping them up in the public asylums of the colony. The air in this nursery is very pure, with an abundant supply' of pure water, but T venture to say not half so pure as the 500 odd acres I am alluding to which our ."strong arm

of the law" lias tho use of, rent free. Any morning his burly form can be seen (riding his prancing steed) with rosy cheeks (!) (he Ire-di mountain dew en Ills wellkept moustache as he is trending Ins W ( »y l.muewurds alter having inspected his tloek of some 200 to 500 sheep, I 10 !" 11 " that: he will have a line clip and. m. sli.ke during the arduous and trying lime ot In.-, shearing.—l tun, etc.,