THE ENDOWMENT SCHEME.

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 23, 29 March 1907, Page 3

THE ENDOWMENT SCHEME.

[By "Wanderer."]

The Acting-Premier, during the course of a speech at Cheviot last week referred to the the endowment proposals of the Government Land Bill in eulogistic terms, and according to the report in the daily papers said that the Bill was not a controversial subject. The Acting-Premier contended that, in the interest of free education, it was necessary the great expenditure entailed thereby should be provided for. The workers were already taxed quite enough through the Customs, and he did not want to increase taxation at all, either on land or otherwise. The best way was to set aside endowments as proposed by the Land Bill. It was the duty of the Government to make provision, as far as possible, for carrying on the great work of education, charitable aid, and old age pensions. They would do it by setting aside land, and not further increasing taxation. As far as appears from the foregoing there is little to be controverted in the Acting-Premier's attitude, but this may be simply because the proposal is very bald. Many schemes are highly desirable in the abstract, that when the details are worked out, are more than highly objectionable. Hosts of people have virtually the same fundamental principles or code of ethics, yet their individual lives are entirely dissimilar. So it is with almost any broad scheme. The underlying principle may be acclaimed by the all, but the administration of the proposal may be open to the strenuous opposition of those who most loudly welcomed the initial proposition. For the Acting-Premier to state that an endowment scheme is necessary and give the reasons therefor, is not stating how t]ie scheme is to be given effect to. And that is just what is of the greatest importance. In the heated controversy over the leasehold and freehold tenure the endowment proposals have been somewhat lost sight of, but the speech made recently by the Hon. Hall-Jones may have the effect of directing public attention towards them. In order to be logical the Acting-Premier would apparently set aside land to pay for all Governmental schemes. There are other expensive works than those mentioned which are not reproductive, in a direct sense, and, following the Acting-Pre-mier's suggestion it seems logical that all land should be parcelled up, and set aside to meet all works undertaken from time to time by the country. The exponents of this principle seem to forget that the whole colony (and its resources) is one vast public endowment, to be managed and exploited |;by the people for the good of the people. The Government, as the peoples' representatives are placed in their position for the purpose of carrying on the business of the country. The making of national endowments in land can hardly be objected to, providing the process is undertaken broadly, and the whole of the colony subjected to exactly the same conditions in the matter. In order to be equitable such a scheme would, practically, have to embrace every district in the colony, and certain areas in each locality would require to be set aside for the purposes of the scheme. These areas should be approximately equal in value and returning, as nearly as possible, proportionate amounts according to population, or such other basis as was deemed fair. It has been suggested that the Crown lands of the North are to be set aside for the purposes of the scheme, but unless adequate compensation be made in some other form by the Government, it can hardly

be regarded favourably. Moreover, it must be remembered that any scheme which has* for its basis, the manipulation of hinds by the Government, is regarded with suspicion by the great bulk of the farming community. Endowments nre not new to the North, as witness the many areas held by churches and missions in various places. These endowments have hardly spelt success in every sense, and, quite recently, it was found necessary to induce the Government to acquire a mission property at Te Awamutu, in order to have it opened to the public. If endowments are necessary, why should the Government not first acquire all the existing endowments in both Islands, and administer them for the benefit of the people? Surely the great public requirements are more deserving of support than any private or parochial institutions. If mistakes were made in the past, that is no reason why they should be perpetuated ; rather is it a very good reason that they should be rectified.