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Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1994, 1 February 1907, Page 1

settle? (Hoar, hoar.) Was it not right that they should give them tho poivo rto reserve part of it, so that men who might not have sufficient money to acquire land at all should bo available for leasehold? Under the present Commission, instead of waiting—which, to his judgment (and he had been investigating tho matter as far as ono man could do over sinco lie came back to Now Zo aland), was tho whole ciiuso of stopping tho progress of settlement on these nativo lands—for tho land commisions of tho past had presented their reports in such staggering proportions that tho Legislature had not,been able to givo them practical effect. Tho present lioyal Commision would, within fourteen days after the noxt mooting of Parliament —six uroliths from non — report on every block of land that thoy had investigated, so that tlioy would see that this Commission was goin gto bo an active ono and not a dormant one. Tho Legislature was in earnest in this matter. At tho next sitting of tho House of Parliament tho reports of tho Commission, as they came to hand, would bo considered and proposa Is would be submitted to the House in accordance with the recommendations mado. When that Commission recommended largo areas of land to bo put on tho market, in tho way ho had indicated, it would, ho felt, be an extraordinary member of Parliament who would, in tho face of the composition of that Commission, including file. Chief Justice mid a member of Wnative race,, get up and move a resolution to stop tho settlement of Europeans on tho lands reported on. (Applause.) In regard to tho Crown lands question, which they had, as common-sense men to arrive at a settlement of, there was a section of the community which had been urging that the country should by legislation give tlio right to a man who, ten or fifteen years ago, obtained Crown lands under lease, to dispense with their lease and acquire tho freehold at tho original value. He was convinced that these jieople would never get the Legislature of this country to do anything of tho kind. (Applause.) And for more reasons than one. In the first place, it was not a fair proposition that any man competing for land under leasehold, or whatever tenure it was, ten or fifteen years ago, and was unsuccessful, should he denied the right of taking a fair share in the unearned increment of that land if tho tenure was to ho altered. And lie would further say that, once the doctrine was established of compelling the administration by agitation, even by tho return of memders to Parliament to cancel a sacred contract entered into ten or flfton years ago, one could not say whither that doctrine would carry them. (Hear, hear.) If it was right for people to try and force tlie Government to cancel a contract entered into ten or nfteen years ago in the lease-in-perpetuity system in this colour, then what about the farmer or squatter who ten or fifteen years ago purchased a land area for bunself of a reasonable size for himself, and now having reached ail ago when ho wants to give up farming altogether, gets a tenant on Ins land under a leasehold tenure? If it was a light thing for the State to be called on to cancel a leasehold contract, was it not right also for- tlie individual ? (Applause.) Logically it was so. But it would be excessively dishonest to apply tlie doctrine either to tlie individual or to the State. The only way in which such a change could be honestly broilghh,about mould be by mutual agreements*. neither _ side being pressed, neither .sitit, being coerced. Those iv'no- desired the freehold must bo reasonable, and those on tlio other side,-inii favorn'of the leasehold must be reasonable* ; t'oo ,■ and if both sides were reasonable there must be a way in which the matters urged could bo properly adjusted on the statute book. They would not agree to anything in the shape of retrospective legislation. All they asked wys that tlie questions should be approached in a coinmonsonsc way, and if they did a pproa(ill it in a common-sense way, they would secure a common-sense solution of the problem. But they must approach it without tlieso extraordinary, excessive, and lie might add, improper demands. He was sure the Government could effect a solution of the land question, and also tlie native land question—(applause) —a solution with which few would dissent. If the Government did ..both these things, lie thought they would admit the present administration had done something. For the last 20 years there had been efforts 'to temporise with land legislation, and in particular native land legislation. The /g present Government was not acting inlispirit of bravado in attempting to settle these questions, but they realised that it could not he allowed to drift any longer. In the interests of the colony as a whole these questions should bo settled,, and he believed that could best be done upon tlie lilies' lie liad. sketched, but of course these proposals were not iron ones. They must approach tlio question, realising the colossal loss sustained by the colony qs a whole, owing to enormous area of . land lying waste instead of being made productive. They could estimate what that meant, when they learned that there were at least five million acres of land lying idle in the North (Island alone. In referring to the North Island ho was not trying to cater to the people here, for there could not be any development in one part of the colony which did not reflect to some extent on the other. Tlio enormous expansion which had taken place in tho North latterly must therefore also benefit the South Island- It was, of course, but natural that the South should regret losing its population, but still ho contended the settlement of tlie waste lands of the North was a benefit to the colony as a whole. It should not bo forgotten that for 20 years, the people in the North had suffered as a result of tlie Maori war, which carried with it the taking up of the native lands. These matters liad ceased to trouble the South 30 years ago, and the people there were able to acquire land for settlement. The people in the North were entitled 10. tlie present prosperity which had boon so long delayed, they had deserved it, and no ono worth his salt _in the South would say a word against it. (Applause.) ' He believed in the principle of tho yep resell tatiqh qf the people on the popular basis, for that w;\s rprht. and proper, and, if they in the North could increase their number of members more than they had already done at the last census, they were entitled to that increase. He had told the people in the South that if the iNOitli had the greater population it must also have tho greater representation. This country could not bo kept back, and when population increased in the North; which would r also mean an increase in prosperity, then it would naturally follow there must be a reflex on the South. They were one kith and kin, knd lie now found so many (Southerners in the North that the time must soon arrive when they could not tell a Southerner from a Northerner. That "-*ls exactly \x> should bo. (Applause,) LAND SETTLEMENT.

He wished to say a word or two with regard to a matter that had a good deal to do with helping the settlement of the land. The total number of estates purchased by the Government under the Lands for Settleement Act since 1893 was 49. Of that number 33 were m the North Island, comprising 297,000 acres, and 16 in the South Island, of an area qt 210,00 Q acres. In the Auckland district there was 223,199 acres included in the estates, purchased Ho mentioned that to show that the system of land purchase carried out by the Government of this country had "Tenth- aided settlement, and settlement 'increased the general prosperity Wherever estates had been cut up and settled they found increased prosperity amongst the tradesmen who had to handle the produce. It also increased the the railways, which benefited the rest, Qt the colony. This country still required to go on'acquiring large landed estates. They had, however, found that tlie very fact of the Government purchasing large estates fm setdement in any district increased the value of all the surrounding and. There was a danger arising out of that, of the land reaching such a price that it would not encourage settlers to take it up and pay interest upon the capital value of such land Thev must take care va^ reach such a point that it would not pav for people to settle .upon it. Everyone desired to..act fairly and instlv + 0 large land owners, and he could riot realise that the Government cutting np =etdmg the fringes of their estates—for they never took away the whole of the balance of any man’s land—increased the value of the balance of the area retained by the original owner of the whole estate. At the same time, ho