The Feilding Star. TUESDAY, FEB. 24, 1891. The Land Question

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 104, 24 February 1891, Page 2

The Feilding Star. TUESDAY, FEB. 24, 1891. The Land Question

Although the Minister for Lands, has extreme views on the Land Question, his coadjutor, the Hon, Mr Sed don appears to be more moderate and at the same time sensible. In his speech at Hawera, as reported in the Egmont Star, Mr Seddon, dealing with the Land Question, said he gave Mr Rolleston credit for having given the country a liberal land law and | land administration from 1879 to 1 884 ; and Mr Ballance had gone beyond Mr Rolleston ; but this had all been changed during the past three years, during which there had been nothing but dummyism. There was only three millions of good land left, and that must be preserved for the bona fide resident settler. The present Minister of Lands, himself a small farmer and a practical settler, might be relied on to look after the interests of the small settler class. As to acquiring large estates, he said the Government would

do nothing revolutionary, but as land could be taken on payment of fair compensation for public works, or roads and railways, they saw no reason why it should not be so taken for settlement if required in the public iutei est. As to the confirmed leases, he declared there must be legislation to do equity to all. Suspensory legislation must be had first thing next session to stop litigation, and then there must be fair aud equitable legis lation to open the land. This is very different to the Hon. Mr McKenzie's utterances. Of course the statement that " during the last three years there has been nothing but dummyiam," must be subjected to a very liberal discount, and any member of this Ministry should remember that he is walking on very thiu ice when he approaches that subject. .