Government Land Administration.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 299, 24 June 1896, Page 2

Government Land Administration.

Mr Pirani^M^|i^Et., in his speech on the Addregg-in-^ly; said :— The system 61 |,Land£asmin^ ■; ;Z with regarci^d roaming. .Jn ■ vtfieifr ; .; special settlements the roadiug going on at the present time is not only »^ farce, but it is a huge waste of publicmoney. For instance, there ar^tWo^ special settlements at the head of the L Fohangina river, and there is »■ road ; going up a cUff nearly 250 ft high,;' through cuttings of papa rock. The formation is only 6ft wide, and on owe * ? of the tracks the rock is so soft that within twelve months it has fallen down, leaving in places only a track 3ft wide, and the 'settlers : Aroifer pected-' to get to their holdings through that track.. , Through these settieuaenjk the department has only" cvi tracks wide, and it is quite an impossibiiity^ especially in winter^time/^ior^iieayjT,;; traffic to take^pi^^pye^t^e^'^n^^; 1 ; Under these circumstances :liow^mcmv|, the Minister expect satisfactory: '»Bt^^ tlement to take place in the^remtxtß' parts of the colony. Besides thati what are these settlers who have only paid their, 10s— and in many cases' they have nothing mpre^to dpvwhen they are compelled to go and live upon the land? If these bloc^ had bVen cut up in alternate sec^^^j|o|ae^fw'| y cash or occupation with right bf pur- v chase on heavy improvement conditions, others on lease in peipetuity. 6r perpetual lease with; r(w^i|»f:oond^ tions, the men would have a chacice of getting work in improving the land which is alongside of them, and thus 1 : be enabled to carry out their owa improvements and obtain the necessaries of life for their families. But the unfortunate part of the administration' of the present Minister of Lands il that he rarely takes advice from anybody who is smaller than himself,; And, airy t want Jp ;^ instance of bad adminwtration , of Grown lands of the colony ; and the 1 Premier is as much responsible as the; Minister for it. In 'the Momohaki district, two miles from a fail w»y, t near the state expenmehtal farini the> . Government resumed rj^^ibn^of 1 200 acres of the finest land colony. The lease Jiad expired; and that land cost them nothing ;and^hat; did they do? Iristead of cutting that land up.for dairy : 'formk':l6?^t^i^fv'' good settlement, and to da a way that a number; of^(^tteri^uljikb make a comfortable living on; i^ it; j was offered in such areas and at sucH prices as to ensure faUure/flbrdught the; matter; up and .pur liand^ BV»ard passed res^utions againsjt it ; 'a depti; tation from the l^rd wait^ On th^^^ Minister against it 5 but nothfng could be done. As a last resort I appealed ,to the Premier *t6 lay. ' the in^t|rjb% ; fore Cab|net and prevent the sppliaji; tion of the estate of tho Grown, and I' got a sneering wply from the Premier to the effect that tb,e ' number of genuine applications "for this -land showed that the Minister was right and the Land Board and myself were wrong. _..'.l^hat,..^ ith:^^jf^l^T|^T|fe;; numerous appliaitions^ for Mh^^Op acres numbered 20 • e,y^|^setilef has taken up that land^ wi^h pne/^-; ceptibn, ' has a^ndotied it; al]|thlo initial ''expense' And that is what the Premier cills successful settlement. '■ ; .if that'experil' : ment is a failure, where all the'cpndiiions .Were 7 favpralble to ; »uccom0 W&*,",. can it be i'-'^^hXe^^'^n^^^t^d'f; for settlement to istered. Ido blame'the Miniater, but I blame tbe dq»rt;ment to a;yery r gr6at " iß^^^ilß^-^vir^ha '■'] the 'Minister .'knp^^a%4fc^^p^|&4;; m6nt is doing when he is racing^frbm one end , of the colonjK;^ |l^;btKeiv^ allowing his department -|b^i^^imn««vs;: istered; not by under-sedr^riel.'liß-cause the heads of departmrate; artt dodging -about just: as much |«|j^e:; ■ Ministerj 'I^4 ! ci!deltais : *ni- ;^il^;^ who knew nothing; of the first piiiiot pies of land settlSinen^ \ ; ;~, \