Mr. Banay and the Special Settlement Scheme.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 82, 10 March 1885, Page 2

Mr. Banay and the Special Settlement Scheme.

[Post.] We confess that wo do not quite understand the motives, or recognise the force, of Mr Bunny's objections ' to the special settlement scheme. Of his per- I feet sincerity m opposing we are convinced, for through a long public career , he; has always proved himself an earnest friehd to legitimate settlement, and a determined opponent of all land monopoly. As a member of the Provincial Govern-, ment, as a member of the House of Representatives, and as a member of the Waste Lands Board, he has always been an earnest advocate of liberal land legislation and prudent administration m the interests of honafide settlement by small holders. The position he has now taken up demands, therefore, respectful consideration as to the motives which actuate him m pursuing a course apparently at variance with all his past conduct. We regret that the interview on Thursday between the Minister of Lands and the members of the Waste Lands Board. was prematurely closed, as' had it been continued the question would no doubt have been fully discussed. So far as we can make out Mr Bunny's objections to Mr Ballance's scheme ; are that iit will encourage" speculation,, discourage settlement, and . exclude the general public from a fair chance of obtaining land to settle on. If Mr Bunny could establish these points, the scheme would stand altogether condemned ; but we do not think he can establish them. Certainly, he has not done so yet, and the facts which he has urged m support of these contentions 'do not at all bear out the conclusions he seems to have arrived ai. We can see no ground for objection m professional and business men taking up land m .these special settlements. A sprinkhny of such classes, .will certainly ■be required m most of the settlements, and even if the applicants do not themselves occupy, they are bound by the regulations to provide resident substitutes. As to there being any objection to several'members, of a, family taking up land we 1 cannot see it* To provide land for the settlement of the young men who are growing up m the colony, is a wise, and admirable thing. It has been too much the habit to offer advantages m regard to land settlement to,:iminlgrants f which were denied to the "residents m the colony. The more inducements we can offer to young New Zealand to settle clown and till the earth the better. . We rejoice at the introduction of a system offering tradesmen, professional men and others a chance of settling their sons on the soil. There is no speculation m men taking up small areas of land with •this view.: It is, the.very. beat; system of settlement possible, and we think Mr Ballance's scheme is eminently calculated to encourage it. As to taking up land for mere speculative purposes, to hold for a rise, the details of that scheme, m limitation of ' area and other ways, provide amply sufficient -precautions ! against. . abuse m this direction. Mr Bunny's other objection is that t£e gerieral public have, nofc a fair, chance of, ob-, tainirig land under this systeiid. We fail to see why they have not.' Anyiof the general' public desiring to ■ obtain land for settlement can form an association and take up a block. There is ho restriction preventing any class from doing; this... It is true a single individual cannot take up land oh his own account under the scheme. He must associate himself with a certain number of others to form a settlement. This is not, we think,, a hardship, but an advantage. Individual attempts at taking up land' in remote districts wpuld not be likely, to do much' to promote general settlement. We have now Noticed briefly what we take to be Mr Bunny's objections to Mr Ballanoe's special settlement scheme. It may be that he has other and stronger reasons for the opposition he has displayed, but if not, we. = cannot agree with the position he has taken up m the matter. !