AGGREGATION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2320, 30 November 1914, Page 4

AGGREGATION

The Christchurch Opposition organ is much, exercised in spirit over some figures which wo published a few days ago showing that aggregation ot land proceeded at a very rapid pace while the "Ward Government was in office. It is quite natural that it should be annoyed bocause the facts we brought to light were extremely unpleasant ones lor our Wardist friends to face. Ignoring, in its anger and excitement, the fact that the- figures proving the aggregation were taken direct from the Official Records, our contemporary abuses: us roundly, and even goes to the 'amusing, length of accusing us of juggling with the facts or something of the kind. Wo are very pleased to have an excuse to return to this subject for the facts cannot be too strongly impressed , on the public ' mind that the official records show that under the Ward Government, despite its professed hatred of big estates, the big holdings of the country increased in number and aggregation flourished. In showing that the number of occupied holdings in the Dominion of one acre and upwards increased at an average rate of 1744 per year under the Seddon reKJme., and that the. average

dropped to 787 per annum in the term of the Ward Government, we quoted from tho Official Uncords, in which these facts arc placed on permanent record. Against this indisputable, testimony, the Christchurch Wardiat organ states that the statistics of holdings for 1911 are incorrect, and than goes rambling on in assertions that the officials of the Lands Department estimate that the number of occupied holdings continued to increase) at the average rate, "and if this was really so," it plaintively . remarks; "settlement was more active during the first fiveyears of the "Ward Government than during any other quinquennial period iu the history of .the Dominion." In a word, it proves" its case by throwing the evidence overboard and. manufacturing a new set of evidence to suit its own ends. The Bamo journal, in another article, transforms the damaging fact, that while there were only 4610 persons holding more than 1000 acres in 1906 there wcro 5796 holdings above this area in 1911, into a testimonial to the ability of Sir Joseph Ward in promoting land settlement. This effort is completely surpassed, however, by a .mendacious reference to a table in the Yea.f Book, which we aro informed shows that the Ward Government established a record in the reduction of aggregation. As a matter of fact, the table docs nothing of the kind, for it deals only with areas of 10,000 acres and upwards, and shows that the number of such holdings in the Dominion has progressively declined from as far back as the records aro available. 8o far as wo know this has never bean disputed. How could it be otherwise? Tho aggregation of holdings of 10,000 acres and upwards is scarcely'within the bounds of possibility under the conditions that have obtained in New Zealand even long before the days of tho Continuous Ministry, but it is very necessary to guard against the aggregation of less extensive areas. This, on the authority of the State statistical records (compiled while the Ward Government was' in office), the Ward Government signally j failed to accomplish, and .no amount of twisting and vitupera,titm will get rid of this unpleasant fact.