WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 June 1917, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

LAND SETTLEMENT. COMPULSORY PURCHASE. (Our Special Correspondent) We minoton,' .Tune 13 ThejJeputation. that waited upon Sir .Francis Bell yesterday to urge the acquisition of land in the Waipawa district for soldier settlement at least had the satisfaction of extracting from the Acting Minister of Land a considerable amount of interesting information in regard to the attitude of the Government towards land acquisition generally. Sir Francis laid it down as a settled policy that in no case would compulsion be applied till negotiation had finally failed and that the owner who sub-divided bis land himself and offered it for sale would he subject to no pressure from the State. For the present the Government had no money available for the acquisition of I land other than that required by reI turned sJdiers and no general scheme of settlement on a large scale could be considered till normal conditions were restored. Tin; minister’s critics. While everyone here agrees that the returned soldiers should have preference in the selection ot land till all their reasonable requirements are satisfied, some of the Minister’s critics dissent very strongly from the other features of It's policy. The extremists among them, of course, would solve the whole problem by progressive taxation drastic enough to bring all the land required into the market. The more moderate advocates of close settlement, while not going to that length, protest against the man who sub-divides his estate on paper and offers it for sale at exorbitant prices being, guaranteed against interference. They maintain that this man and his kind are mainly responsible for the excessive land values which are pressing so hardly on (he small farmer and preventing him obtaining an adequate return for his labour. CROWN LANDS. Another group of critics, who draw their arguments chiefly from the 4 vast area of waste land in the Auckland provincial district, declare the Government might carry through a good scheme of settlement without purchasing a single acre from private owners if it would make intelbgent use of the material it has in hand. Instead ot purchasing improved land at largely inflated prices, these people contend, t lie Government should employ what money it has in roadiug the available Crown lands and assisting the men who are ready to occupy them. It lias beeii stated on what seems to be good autliojity, that thoie are a million acres of land in the north of Auckland district alone which could be converted into suitable farms for returned soldiers at one-t enth the cost of purchasing a similar area of improved land. SHALL AURAS. No scheme of this sort would satisfy the needs of the men who are coming back crippled and shattered in health. 'These, if they go on the land at all, will require special provision in the way of highly improved areas in the neighbourhood of some centre of population. But there is no .reason why hundreds ot returned soldieis and civilians should not be settled on comparatively small farms in the North of Auckland district for instance. The soil there in many pails is exceptionally rich, the climate is ideal and the means of communionion easy of great improvement. ,A great wealth of opportunity lies here for the soldiey and the civilian alike and it ought to be made accessible to them both.