MR PYKE ON THE LAND.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1265, 28 May 1886, Page 3

MR PYKE ON THE LAND.

TO THR EDITOR, Sib - Having read Mr Pyke’s letter on the land question, I agree in a great measure with what be there advances. There

. can be no doubt that our land laws requires • simplification and consolidation very badly. But there is one point on which 1 entirely disagree with him. He advocates free selection after survey. I believe in free selection before survey. Free selection after survey is not free selection at all. Under that system you are compelled to select when, where, and how, a Minister, a Board, or a Surveyor, may determine. No mm will come to settle in a country where he knows Imforehand that he will have to wait the caprice of a Minister or Board as to when, where, and what quantity of land he shell select. He will certainly, prefer to go where he will be at liberty to determine these points for himself, naturally eon. sidsring himself the best judge. lam ■ quite Sure that so long as there remains any land in the. neighboring colonies we can newer hope to 1 attract population by our present system.’ , Another strong reason in our present circumstances against free selection after •urvey is the expense of these surveys, which roust amount to a large sum, and which has to be home hy the C douy for a length of time, and which under the other system would-be pail by the selector only whin the land was aotnally tiken up. Another strong reason is that under the present system men are frequently induced to take up land who aie not prepared to do so, who have not the neceisary capital, and who, whilst not benefiting themselves, scri'usly injure their neighbours hv the reckless competition which is a concomitant of their, important position. ’Nothing is more pitiful than to see these unfortunates struggling along from year to year, in arrears with their rent, in debt to the storekeeper, unable to work their laud properly, or stock it advantageously, and at' last, after perhaps years of toil and privation, crushe 1 entirely by a bad season, and compelled to start life afresh, hound flown ' by broken hopes and advancing years. This is avoided under the other system, as a man floes not rush on to land until he is prepared to do so. Such settlement not being forced benefits both the individual atid the country. For these anil many other reasons which space foyhi -s to mention'here, I am satis fied that if we really wish to compete with the other colonies in attracting population we must adopt a laud system at least as liberal as theirs, which our system certainly is not. Trusting that I have not intruded too ~ much on your space, I remain, etc., C. Blacks, May 24th, 1888.