THE LAND HUNGER IN THE SOUTH.

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 19, 1 March 1907, Page 2

THE LAND HUNGER IN THE SOUTH.

On Thursday of last week a ballot took place for lenses of Crown lands in the Hororata district, Canterbury, and on all hands it has been stated that the valuations placed upon the sections were much too low. The average rental of the blocks is about Is an acre, and it is said that a well known station owner would have given more than double the rent for the whole area. In the case of one section of over 2,000 acres the goodwill of of the lease is now valued at £l per acre, and this practically means that the successful applicant has been presented with £2,000 by the Government. The extent of the earth hunger in the south may be estimated from the!fact that between £30,000 and £4O, 000 was represented in the deposit money with the applications. The existence of conditions in the South Inland, which contribute to the abnormal land hunger, have long been foretold, and small wonder that the "limitation of area" clause in the proposed Land Bill is popular with the great mass of the Southern people. In a Countiy where the existence of large estates is the rule, instead of the exception; where the man anxious to go on the land, sees large areas held by wealthy owners all round him, and knows that he cannot compete with the big holders for any land which may come into the market, it is the most natural thing in the world for the hungering majority to cry out for an equitable readjustment of conditions. The feeling in the south presages the popular acceptance of the limitation c 1 uros of Mr McNab's Bill, and whatever fate awaits the measure with r.goi'd to the leasehold proposals, it is quite evident the matter of large estites will require to be dealt with at an early date.