Special Settlement.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 80, 7 March 1885, Page 3

Special Settlement.

DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER. & ' A deputation, consisting of Messrs H. Buuny, W. W. McCardle, and W. A. Fitzherbert, members of the "Waste Lands Board, waited on the Minister of Lands on Thursday, m reference to the present system of special' settlement of the land. Mr Bunny exolained at soino length the object of the deputation, pointing out that jat present the system of special settlement was entirely under the control of the Government, while the Waste Lands Board was ignored, although the intention of the Act was clearly to leave the administration of the waste lands of the Crown m the hands of the board. Selling, letting, and disposal were, m the words of the Act, left to the board, and the Commissioner was to carry them out. The board had those powers, and he maintained that the expenditure of , money upon roads, etc., ought also to be within their province. "What I mean to say-," said Mr Bunny, « is that becauso A.B. happens to be Minister of Lands, it doesn't follow that he's got an Almighty God knowledge of the country." They ought to have, m fact, m Ihcir hands the administration of the money voted by Parliament to opening up roads and the country. His objection to the system was that it enabled professional gentlemen, and others to purchase large! blocks— pick the eyes out of the country so to speak, and did not encourage the right class of settlement. All the board askod, was that this matter 'should not be hurried until they saw what Government and Parliament would do m the matter. If the Government then elected to back the , system up, he would then himself go m for getting large blocks under the special settlement system. Mr McCardle wished the Minister to understand that he and Mr Bunny did not agree m ihe matter. He looked upon the system as a good one, and considered that the sooner effect could be given to it the better it would be for the tryMr Fitzherbert was rather m favor of special settlement, and looked upon it as the only way to open up the country. Hon. Mr Bnllance : lam glad to* hear you say so. Mr Bunny objected to this system, on the ground that it was obnox■ions, and partly because they found fathers putting down the name of their sons for the land under it. He (the Minister) took it that they could not get a better mode of settling the country than one which induced farmers and settlers to take up land with the object of placing their sons upon it. For these young men would be brought up m the country, and would go upon the land with experience. With regard to professional gentleman taking up land, he pointed out that the conditious would prevent anything like dummyism, and" professional people would bring capital into the colonising affairs. A sum of money heing put down m the first instance was sufficient guarantee that the people who went out on the land were men of capital. Looking at the names of people who were connected with an association that had been considered by the board that morning, he was of opinion that they could not have better people to settle the country. In regard to the suggestion that the board should have -the management of these special settlements, he thought the deputation had given the very best reason why that should not be so ; for the board appeared to him to be hostile to the S3'stem. He had been of opinion that it was better for him to retain the administration of a system, which he had largely .. worked out himself, although he was glad to avail himself of advice from the boards. The House had last year voted jE700,000 to roads; and it was quito clear that where such large sums were voted, the Government should retain administration and the ultimate responsibility. Village settlement, he thought, had been a total failure ; not a single instance of its success could be cited. "With regard to " picking 'tihe eyes of the country out,"' he said that was exactly what he wanted; he wanted the best land to be settled by these associations first, and by that means the other parts of the country would be opened up. 'That was the very best introduction to infer-' ior lands. The Government hope to have sufficient land to supply all persons who were able to comply with the conditionfi, and they gave to the residents m a district the first chance of buying land m that district. That was only fair. Mr McCardle said he could gurantee the genuineness of one or two of these associations. At this juncture, Mr Ballance, who had several times been sent for to attend the meeting of the Executive, said he was compelled to be absent for 10 minutes. Mr Bunny suggested that they should let the matter stand over. Mr Ballance : So far as the system is concerned, not one hour. The deputation then withdrew.