Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20. 1872. MR. STAFFORD’S SETTLEMENT POLICY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1433, 20 September 1872, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20. 1872. MR. STAFFORD’S SETTLEMENT POLICY.

Tn a recent telegram summarizing Mr Stafford's speech in reply on the want of confidence question, that gentleman refers to Mi Vogel as having called his policy of settlement "confiscation.' 1 On referring to "Hansard" we are able to find Mr Vogel's speech, in whieli appears his criticism of Mr Stafford'*, policy, following a statement ot the same as extracted from a speech delivered by him at Timaru on the Ist March, 1871. Mr Stafford's proposals are as follows :

" What 1 mean is, that in connection with our public works, we will give to the people employed—if they will settle down upon the country, in settlements of, say, one hundred families in each settlement—town allotments of two acres each, with some ten acres suburban allotments immediately contiguous, and adjoining the suburban sections, an unalienable commonage thai would keep a few cows for each family 1 would settle people down in that way, so that when they could not get work, at all events they would not starve, having land upon which they could grow their wheat, oats, and potatoes, with glass for a cow. (Loud cheers.) I am not speaking of what I have not seen done. 1 have seen one or two settlements growing up on this plan. I am merely wishing to further what I have seen already done successfully in this very Colony in which we now live. As an objection to this plan, it may be said that there are a great many parts of the country bought which would prevent such settlement. I am aware of that. 1 think a most pernicious set of land laws have largely encouraged prevention of settlement. I have no hesitation in saying that if the State is justified in taking land for railways and other public works, it is also perfectly justified in taking absolutely from some of those larger estates land for special settlement. (Cheers.) I do not wish to lay myself open to misconception, or to. the accusation that I would take his whole estate from any one person to give to any one else. 1 am talking of the large estates held in fee simple, not of lands held under the Crown, because the latter are open to be dealt with under existing laws without exceptional action. I am talking of lands which have already been sold, and which it is desirable to occupy in a different way. I should take from those large estates a certain percentage. 1 would not take small properties without the consent of the owner, because my object is to get village communities —not to. put A. out to put B. in his place; but with respect to estates of from eight and ten to ninety thousand acres I should have no scruple at all. ' (Cheers.) I would say to the owners of these large estates, * You shall give me two or three thousand acres of that property, on

which I intend io plant some hundred maided oouples; you shall sell that block to rae for the money originally given for it, and 10 per cent, pur annum added.' Ido not think any of them could complain of that. I would not take the land where improvements were made. A great many of them would, I believe, be very willing to s?ell their whole property on those terms. (Laughter and.cheers.)"

—The scheme, it will be observed, consists of two parts. Ist. The settlement of families upon land contiguous to the public works in communities consisting of one hundred families, each family having a town allotment, a suburban allotment for cultivation, and a right of commonage for the grazing of a few cows. 2nd. The providing ot land for this purpose in districts *vhcre the land has all been bought up. In critici&ing the first part —that is, the settlement of families as described —Mr Yogel appears to have indulged in uncalled-for merriment, especially on the subject of commonage for the villagers. He remarked, " They are going to live on milk apparently," " Fancy one hundred families living on milk," &c, ignoring the suburban allotments altogether, which are specially provided for the cultivation of grain and vegetable food. Mr Stafford saiJ, "J am merelv wishing to further what I have seen done successfully in this very colony in which we now live;'' and our own experience corroborates that of the hon. gentleman's in this respect—if, indeed, an) confirmation be needed to what is self-evident—viz., the boon which a right to grazing a few cows would be to the villagers, on land adjacent to their farms.

But the term " confiscation " was of course applied to the means proposed of acquiring land for this purpose in eligible districts, when such land had already passed into private hands. Mr Stafford's proposal to take a small pei • centage from, very large estates for the purpose, excited Mr Vogel's strong indignation. " Was there,' 5 he said, ever such a system of wholesale corruption proposed % The Government would be authorized to go on to a pei son's propei ty and take land that would utterly destroy the remainder," &c, forgetting apparently that such land taking for public purposes is already legalized, and ignoring the fact that speculators have often been permitted to monopolise the public estate without check, and for mere nominal charge, where, under a judicious system of government, re serves for settlement would have been made. We know of a single instance where seven miles in extent of river frontage has been monopolised by one person ; and an advance of ten per cent. per annum on the original cost would generally well repay the owner for the loss, especially where the original purchase had taken place some years ago.