MR FISH IN EXPLANATION.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2382, 19 November 1870, Page 2

MR FISH IN EXPLANATION.

To the Editor of the Evening Star. Sir, —Will you allow me to correct an impression which you appear to have gained with regard to the remarks I made in seconding the reply to the Superintendent’s address in the Provincial Council. In your leading article of Thursday evening you say “ Mr Fish may say in one breath that it would he better to give the land away than to have no population, and in the next condemn selling it in Southland at ten shillings an acre instead of a pound. No doubt he can reconcile the two ideas, for he says the whole of our land legislation has been had.” When I said it might be better to “give the land away than not have it settled upon ” I was referring to the Tautukn bn-h, a piece of land in the Gatlin’s River district, which, though good enough land for settlement, is so very woody as to prevent persons purchasing ; but if a portion was sold very cheap, or even given away, it would induce people to settle, open up the country in that district, and enhance the value of the remaining portion of the land. What I said as to the impolicy of selling land at 10s an acre referred to the general land policy for the whole Province. I therefore contend that I was guilty of no inconsistency, as you assert, in making the remarks I did. Again, sir, I did not say our whole land legislation was bad. What 1 said was “ that the whole of our laud legislation since 1866 was bad ” I am, Sir, your-, ic., H. 8. Fisu, Junk. Dunedin, November 19, 1870.