Land for the People.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 193, 14 February 1895, Page 2

Land for the People.

In his speech at Chiietchurch on Monday night the Hon. Mr Reeves said that " as a result of his enquiries in Australia the Government had decided upon the adoption of what was known as the alternative system in connection with public works." This is the system which the Miuister of Lands in Parliament last session mentioned that the Government had in contemplation. The scheme is to acquire suitable blocks of land for small settlement in the immediate neighbourhood of railway or road works which are likely to afford steady employment to numbers of laborers for some time, to allot sections to the men, and by dividing them into parties so arrange matters that they will work alternatively upon the road or railway formation and their own small farms. Thus each party would labor, say, for a week or a fortnight at a 'ime upon the Government and another similar period upon their own land, carrying on in this way as long as their services were required. By this arrangement it is hoped that when the contract was finished the laborers would have sufficiently improved their farms to be able to make a livelihood out of them and to give their undivided attention to their farming pursuits. In fact they would without any surrender of their own independence be afforded the means of carving out homes for themselves and families. * Government surveyors have instructions to report upon blocks of land suited to the purpose in view, : and it is intended to make a start with this interesting experiment hi land settlement before the winter sets in. The Government have just secured another block of land for small settlement. It is situated close to the Kurow, about 40 miles from Oamaru, contains about 70 acres, and has been bought from Mr George Stringer. It will be subdivided into sections rang, ing from 5 to 10 acres, and will then be thrown open for selection upon lease in perpetuity at a rental of 5 per cent, calculated upoa the cost. There is not the slightest doubt that the whole of it will be snapped up. for already there are sufficient applications in to absorb the entire area availabe. These early applicants, however, will have to take their chance with others when the day of selection comes round. — Times.