The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25th, 1925. A LAND POLICY.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 March 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25th, 1925. A LAND POLICY.

Tun Hon. Minister of Lands when speaking in Canterbury last week, said there was a Land Rill in embryo, which will, w he’ll it came to light, ensure small holdings, which are to he characteristic of the land policy of the future. The .Minister did not give details, hut lie talked about raiding the endowment lands with the object of giving the freehold. That will not bo helpful in the matter of production, , hut it will be helpful to place more people on the land and give them facilities for adding to the sixty millions of exports which come otf the land. Tho question of smaller holdings can easily become ail important 1 part of the land policy of the country. Jt is years now stnce aggregation was stopped, and it is quite timo the policy went further in seeing that opportunity were given for closer settlement in many districts where thero are suitable areas suitable to acquire and put into small farms. In Westland there should he many such, and it .should not he a <liflici.lt matter to see the occupiers on the land increased materially in number, and adding greatly to tho annual production from the land. Now that dairying is so well established there are facilities for a ready income where those on the land are able to take up dairying as an active branch of farm life. The Minister might well take the country into his confidence regarding the small holding scheme he has in mind, and feeling as we do that in Westland there are many (.[Killings for the success of such a scheme, we hope that in this matter the district will not he neglected by the Lands’ Department, but steps will he taken to secure suitable land and have it <ut up suitable for the use of the small farmer. From time to time travellers and observem pass this way who tell us of the success of the small holding scheme in Denmark. The success there is obvious, and New Zealand finds Denmark its most formidable opponent in the English dairy produce market. Denmark is credited with the outstanding success it "is achieving, because of the intensity of the production carried on on limited dairy farms. There is enough known in New Zealand about the Denmark system to use it as a model on this side of the world, and to learn from the example there what might he attempted in the effort to achieve like success. Mr McLeod's statement on the subject, however, ns far as it went, was confined to generalities. Rut a definite policy of development would he welcomed and he might well indi-

cate the principles upon which it is proposed to work. It is more essential to get people on the land and make them producers, rather than raise a hornet’s nest in the effort to

meddle with the tenure of tho land

Conversion from one tenure to another does not in itself add to the

productivity of the land, but if two or more settlers can he placed where one delved before, the result would he of a practical nature, so far as the extra production is concerned, and that is the main objective, to give more people the opportunity to get on the land by encouraging them to do so, and using the land to its utmost capacity as Denmark does in the matter of productivity. Such a policy will commend itself to the country as a whole, providing as it does all the essentials for success in the means ensured for greater opportunity for producing niorc from the land,

Lord Curzon , who passed away last week, was a notable figure in British politics, lie was Conservative and ambitious, and it is said, aimed at being Prime Minister. But his natural aloofness kept him back in popular favor. His greatest work was in India, to which fur a period at least he devoted the closest attention. In the long list of administrative changes for which Lord Curzon was responsible, remarks an exchange, there were three great reforms to which he devoted much time and thought, lie improved the departental working of the Government of India Ivy releasing ii officers from the tyranny of the pen. Another reform he was responsible k was the improvement in the personnel and training of the police force, which had* been recruited in any parts of the country, from an inferior class, and was regarded by the people as an oppressive and corrupt body. Again, Lord' Curzon led the way in a sustained endeavour to obtain the recognition of agriculture as a science deserving the liberal support of the Government. Of course, sin k a strong ruler as i.ord Curzon must needs incur a great amount of enmity from malcontents, and the Universities Bill, which he introduced was specially noteworthy for the fierce opposition stirred up against it. Another contentious measure was the Bill for the Partition of Bengal. Lord Curzon returned to England in 1001, but went back to India the following year. The attitude lie took up in regard to questions of military control and administration brought him into conflict with Lord Kitchener, the head of the Army Department, and also with the Council. His authority was shaken by tinadverse decisions of the Ministry, and in August 100.-,, he resigned his Viceregal position. The following year he was a ’Romanes Lecturer, and was elected Chancellor of the University of Oxford. He published in 1000 a selection from his speeches made while Viceroy under the title ol “Lord Curium in India.'’ Tie was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. 1919-192-1 ; Leader of the House of Lords. 1916-102-1; member of the War Cabinet, I<)](>. Ills war work was unceasing, devoted and courageous. No task was ever placed upon him which lie was unwilling to undertake, and lie has never lost his belief in the national cause ai its darkest hours.