THE LAND QUESTION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2343, 9 November 1908, Page 4

THE LAND QUESTION.

[To the Editor.li

Sir. —Some very - important- ismes are before the people ot the Dominion at the forthcoming election, but undoubtedly* the most vitav of them all is the question of “freehold or hold.” The present Government is* pledged to the leasehold, at any rate they cannot be trusted to give the freehold tenure a fair chance. They have, it is true, been forced to grant the lease in perpetuity holders thc> option ’of converting their luxe in gw .into freeholds, but as against- this they have invented the renewable lease which they intend to apply to all Crown land to be settled in the future. In doing this they have undoubtedly acted in direct opposition to’ the wishes of the settlers as a whole, and their action has had most to do with the present depression of business and trade. When rimes are good the settler does not require to borrow, or if he does, he has no difficulty in obtaining the smaK advances be wants on current account, with his banker or merchant. His wool clip is usually a sufficient security, and all goes well. But when times alter for the worse and he requires his money to tide him over, the clip does not- suffice: something more is. required, and he must, to get his. advance, be able to offer good security over his land. He has only a. Government Cease to offer, and than security is so little thought of that his application is either refused, or he has to pay a high rate of interest; and bind himself to pay it- for a longterm of years, whatever -happens to the rate of interest in the meantime. There is no gainsaying the fact that the leasehold is a bad security* to borrow on. The lender will not look at a leasehold security when he can ge*u a. freehold, and the consequence is that- the leaseholder goes to the wall. For this state of affairs he has to taank the Government which has defied his wishes by insisting on the leasehold 'and nothing but- the leasenold. It is common knowledge that outside capitalists look askance at- the security offered by New Zealand lands. They want to have nothing to do with them for the simple reason nat they never know what is goiu ,r to happen with a Land Nationalist mg Government- in power. The Gov-1 eminent, by discouraging the free-1 hoid, have struck a deadly blow utl e (Prosperity of the country ini tunes of depression. They have ues-1 troved the tl Cl \ nt * v of tlle Lind, and| the evil results begin to show as soon! ■as the least- tightness is felt in V o| money market-. tSo long as tke*p:e-l remain in power with 'h*l McVab, a Land Natiomdiser us Mi-1 mster of Lands, it- is hopeless to I l»cct the freehold to lx- graSd 61J emedy is to take the matter into I our own hands, and by our vote' fo| dSs r We¥ i"' e “J 1 ™Vwhat fad-| to lunsM tak en from us, and whatl from JSfi Jl ? Ve A° Klvc our coimtrvl Lorn little less than disaster.—l am, I etc ” “FREEHOLDER.” I