SATURDAY, SEPT. 80, 1893. Landowners and the Government.

Manawatu Herald, 30 September 1893, Page 2

SATURDAY, SEPT. 80, 1893. Landowners and the Government.

The chances for a Government candidate in this electorate are small, for the " Government have frequently shown how regardless they are of the farmers' interests. The Minister of Lands introduced a Bill lately into ! Parliament entitled " Land for Sefcj tlements Bill," which, were it passed I as he introduced it and desired to see I it pass, would prove the power by j which any settler on land of any acreage could be worried and dis posses, ed of any little home he had made. The Bill got very severe handling on the discussion for the second reading, which caused the Minister reluctantly to agree to, an amendment by which properties only over 100 acres of first-class land and 200 acres of second class land could be taken under this Bill. This very " concession " proves that every acre of an owner had originally been intended to have been taken if desired, thus showing how easily a tremendous engine of annoyance and persecution was sought by this mis nam^d Liberal Government. The larger number of our successful farmers are those who have made a start on a small scale and by dint of hard work and economy have succeeded in increasing the size of their properties, prohably much assisted by the help of their chidren. A property made j out of the wilderness of nature, and i improved so as to become the envy I of the public, is really of more value to the owner from early associations and from the division among his children which he purposes, than can | be calculated in money's worth ; but

the Minister of Lands sought power to be able. to say to that old settler. " Cleat oat, I have got some unemployed to put in your place, you must just take so much an aere for the land ! " Pleasing idea this, and a mighty encouragement to people to dwell upon the land ! " But surely,'' everyone wiji cry, "..the Minister never propo-?. d to take the land without compensation!" All that the owner c.\n do i.s to get the value fixed Under "The Public Works Act 17H2. Still out lie has to go directly the Minister chooses to gazette his land, aud after months of delay he imy get a. satisfactory award from tho Court. Of course he can accept the price offered by Government but h. would b. unlikely to secure more than a percentage over Land Tax values It is to be no question how much he may be incon v.niet eed by removal, the value to be ascertained is that which the land as a revenue producing machine will yield. What have old settlers done to deserve this ? Simply that they lo Ve bot the ways of the present Government. The Minister founds his excuse for such a Bill upon there being a number of runs in Nelson and Marlborough, over the frontages ot which tho runholders have an agreement to purchase at an upset price. The Minister says this is .very inconvenient, the Government want the frontages, and therefore those Who have borne the heat and burden of the day in opening up the colony had better meve further back and give the best of the land to his dearlybeloved unemployed ! In these cases the Minister desires power to take the land without going through any formula, simply gazette, and if tho runholders are mad enough, the Government will put the runs up to j auction. This proposition more I clearly shows the utter want of principle ou the part of the Minister tban any other clause of this obnoxious Bill, and is therefore valuable as showing what the Minister would be capable of, if only he had the power. Being twitted with such a monstrous proposal the Minister attempted to brazen out the imposition, but it was shown that the putting of the land up to auction was a deliberate dodge, as the Government reserved the 1 power to bid for their own land, and could thus run the runholder up to any price and still buy it. The sale would be the veriest farce imaginable and could only have been put into the Bill as a blind to the intentions of the Government, which are as great a breach of faith to these run-holders as it would be to take the freehold from any small farmer. This is merely a warning to landholders as what the Government are ready to do now with the runholders, they have shown that they desired to do with all farmers, and simply to secure the passing of their Bill they agreed for -the present to a concession as to area. By not having made such a provision wheu presenting the Bill to Parliament the Government have clearly shown they desired no limits, and shonld they gain their ends this year they will withdraw the concession if they have fche power, next year. No one on land can feel secure ; perpetual leases are not proposed to be touched this year, but will they nob come under the grasp of the Government next year ? They will if the same Government is' returned. There can be no more breach of faith in resuming a per- j petual lease than there is in tau iug land promised at an upset price to settlers. Sir Robert Stout in speak I ing to this Bill said it was a I monstrous Bill, and that the gazetting of any man's land was " worse than an Irish eviction or a Highland eviction "' and so say all of us. Sir Robert Stoufc further remarked " I desire to see our young men especially encour ged to make homes for themselves in the country districts, because I believe that the safety of our race physically depends upon that. But, if you do not give thein , security of tenure, where were you ? You will not get anybody to go and spend his money upon the land he acquires, in the improvement upon it, if the Government can come dowu and take ifc away from j him by Proclamation, witbout giving him any nofcice whatever. The Proclamation may appear in the Gazette without his noticing it, and some morning, afc his breakfast, perhaps, he may see that his farm of 400 or 500 acres is gazetted. An Irish eviction is nothing to fchat." And this is the Liberal Governm. nt that some newspapers foolishly assert are the friends of the small farmers of fche colony I ! 1