The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 1878.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 25, 12 January 1878, Page 2

The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 1878.

It appears very like as if the system of granting tracts of land for special settlement is m this colony, coming to an end. The Waste Lands Boards have of late been very scrupulous as to the terms of special settle.* ment grants, and have frequently manifested a reluctance to make these grants on any terms. But, until very lately, when once an application for a block of land had been accepted by the Board, there need be but little doubt as to its ultimate obtainment by the applieauts. Referring the decision of the Board to the Government for ratification cam© to be regarded merely as a matter of form. But of late the Government have seen fit to exercise something more than a perfunctory will m the matter of special settlement applications. They have vetoed some of those that were favourably considered by the Boards, and probably they will, henceforth, continue to veto, and so snuff out altogether all laud schemes that aspire to special privileges.

It cannot be denied that the special settlement principle is eminently suited to the requirements of a new country, possessing imperfect and inadequate land laws. A company purchases from the Government a tract of land on specially favourable terms, under a contract to settle a specified number of families upon it and make certain improvements m the way of roads, &c, within a given time. The transaction on the part of the company may be regarded as a speculation, but it has the unimpeachable merit of promoting settlement . and industry m places where settlement and Industry are the essential conditions of prosperity. When the Government are not able to facilitate settlement by forming roads and drains through any particular tract of laud which, m the interests of the public, should be settled upon, then the Government may well avail themselves of the aid of private enterprise ; and under such circumstances special settlement schemes have wrought a great and good work m this country, and many of the thriving communities scattered^ throughout the land are standing memorials of their efficiency. The obvious objection is that, under the special system, the settler has oftentimes to make the profits of the speculator. To secure a handspnie remuneration for their trouble and for the facilities they give the settler, the promoters are obliged to make him pay a price for his holding far greater than he would pay if he bought it from the Government direct ; and as the promoters are themselves bound to the Government by a contract, they must needs bind the settler by contract also ; and it has many times happened that the sanguine settler^ after spending time and capital m partially fulfilling his. contract with the promoters, is unable to complete it, has to abandon his interest m the whole concern and come out of it a considerable loser. This is one of the individual hardships that is incidental to every general scheme, and frequently as such cases have occurred, it may, perhaps, be justly said that they are no adequate setoff against the general advantages of these enterprises. Nevertheless, the high price the settler has to pay for his land when he obtains it second-hand furnishes the Lands Boards and the Government with one of their chief reasons for regarding with disfavor the schemes of special settlement that are from time to time proposed to them ; and the Government are now exhibiting a growing inclination for dealing directly with, the small as with the large land purchaser. Provided they can do this efficiently it is the better plan, for the direct purchase effects -flwsaiyinp" "hnth fro the Government and to the settler. 'jho-g-gofut^uO ml-ro-cate of special settlement must agree that m proportion as the land laws become adequate to the requirements of a new country the necessity for speoiaV settlements is diminished. Hitherto they have been notoriously insufficient, and the capitalist has been required to purchase and prepare the land for the needy sons of toil. But last Session of Parliament changed very materially the complexion of our land law, and, if we mistake not, swept away the ground of necessity upon which the land company took its stand. Mr Reid gave a premonition of what was to. be by introducing his " Settlement Works Advances Bill." This authorised the advances of money for the construction of roads and other public works to or m any blocks of land opened up or to be opened up for sale or occupation. The prime objection to this measure was that the option of when, where, and how to apply it rested entirely with the Governor m Council. Hence there was every probability of some localities being well cared for and of others being egregiously overlooked. The Bill, however, was rejected on other grounds. But section 59 of the Land Bill that has now become law provides much more effectively for the improvement of lands sold under deferred payments by placing the executive power m tke hands of local governing bodies. The clause reads as follows: "One-.tb.ird of the price of any block of land disposed of under this part of this Act [part relating to deferred payments] shall be handed over to the County Council or Road Board of the district within which such land is situated, to be expended m the construction of roads within, or to open up, the block for the benefit of the selectors. And the payments made by the selectors shall from time to time, until the amount of such one-fchird be reached, be paid over to such County Council or Koacl Board, as the case may be. The plans, of the proposed roads shall m all casas. receive the sanction of th.c Waste Lands Board of the district." This "provision is what the country has hs&o. for a long time asking for, and now that the boon is obtained v it may be expected tliat settlement will proceed apace. But the effjct of the change will be direct against further grants for special settlement, if enceforth the County Councils and the Road Boards vvill perform the modi timisfcio functions hitherto well performed by enterprising associations and capitalists. '