Mount Benger Mail. "BE JUST AND FEAR NOT." WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1881.

Mt Benger Mail, Volume I, Issue 44, 2 March 1881, Page 4

Mount Benger Mail. "BE JUST AND FEAR NOT." WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1881.

1 A ptTiTiox was lately presented to the Land Board of Otago, by a number of settlers in the Dunback and Waihemo ; districts, requesting that certain sections j in those districts should be opened for , settlement upon the deferred payment j system. That petition was forwarded to j Government accompanied by a resolution | of the Land Board, recommending that, j in compliance with its prayer, the GoJ vernment should set apart sections 11 12, 13, and 14, for alienation upon de' ferred payments. The reply received last week from the Minister of Lands has struck dismay into the hearts of the applicants, and filled the Land Board with

astonishment. It is to the effect that " after careful consideration of ail the surrounding circumstances of the caso, it has been considered that the fairest course to pursue would be to throw the land open for sale by auction on immediate payments."—Mr Reeves, who appears to have taken up the role of a Tnbuno of 'the People, and to be determined.that the settlers' interests and wishes are not unwarrantably trampled on, expressed sin prise that the Minister should ignore the recommendation of the Land Board, knowing as the Board did that the hud, if exposed on immediate payment, would possibly pass into the bunds of one person. It was moved by another member (Mr Green), that " the Board regrets that the Eon. tho Minister of Lands has not Been his way to give effect to their recommenda'ion and Mr Reevea, in supporting the motion, said if the Board were to alter their decisions at tuo suggestion of the Minister, thero was no use for hia continuing a member, and Government could appoint someone in his place, if that sort of thing were to become the practice. The motion was passed unanimously. Now, we do not expect that the Minister will alter his determination as to this particular case—that would be too much like eating " humble pie," but I we do hope that the incident will m?ke I Mr Rolleston pause and ponder. In a question, who is more likely to form a j sound opinion as to the best way of deal- ! ing with a particular piece of country—the Land Board, living in the immediate j neighborhood, and personally cognisant | of " the surrounding circumstances," or | the Minister, living in Wellington, hundreds of milea away, and getting bis I circumstantial information at second ! hand ? In such a question we would give the Land Board a decided preference. 1 They are much more likely to be able to* foim a sound and practical opinion; and if their action is to be controlled and overturned by the Minister.icithout reason' I assigned, of what possible • use are Land I Boards, except fo register the decrees of , the autocrat at headquarters? But /.and* ; Boards have their rights, and it is their i duly to conserve those rights, and ill- ! doing so to preserve the privileges uf tho ! people. It is sdd that under the immediate payment system, the land will lm swallowed up by a person who has already ! got an ample share of the earth's surface!Uf this we know nothing. All that we care for is, that the Laud Board should J&t be sr>t endaavoring to administer ?neir office Witb h d.it* regaul to tbo poorer a id therefore more powerless section of the settlers* Anyfhivg savoring of the exercise of high-handed authority is foreign to our mild system of equal rights, to which the poorest persoiv in the land is entitled—and Mr Reeves, and those who are of a similar way of thinking, deserve the warmest thanks of the community. Mr Reeves must not think of resigning his honorable ofliee, but ought on every possible occasion to resist all attempts at encroachment on its privileges, and the other members op the Board will no doubt support him iu so doing.