STARTLING COINCIDENCES. What Does Mr Seddon Think of It?

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 5, 4 August 1900, Page 6

STARTLING COINCIDENCES. What Does Mr Seddon Think of It ?

THERE is something about the recent balloting for the 87,825 acres of second-class land in the, King Country, and the result of that ballot, that seems to call for the most searching scrutiny from the Government. Whatever exception may have been taken to the land policy of the Seddon administration, it must be conceded that the main object of that policy has been to place bona fide settlers upon the land, and to crush out with a heavy foot the " gridironing" and "dummy ism" abuses that were such blots upon the land administration of other Governments. And to the wisdom and excellence of the land administration of the last ten years much of the present prosperity of the country is due. » * * Now, with regard to this balloting for land in the King Country. It is within our knowledge that a great many young farmers have been waiting for months past in the hope of getting one of ,these sections, on which they might establish a home, and it is just such settlers as these the country wants. The applicants for the land were very numerous, upwards of one hundred having been present at the drawing. But mark what happens. The marbles at the balloting were drawn out by Mr W. W. McHardy: Strangely enough, the third section, of 890 acres, is won by Miss J. C. McHardy. Then, the next or fourth section, of 1,495 acres, is drawn by Mr W. W. McHardy. Nor does the extraordinary good fortune of the family end here. The fifth section, of 799 acres, falls to the lot of Mr. Alex. D. McHardy. # # * Then, after a brief rest, Mr W. McHardy, junr., bobs up serenely out of 26 applicants as the fortunate winner of one of the best sections of , 278 acres, and, finally, out of 21 T applicants, he draws the next section • but one of 858 acres. Very odd, is it not ? Out of the thirty sections balloted for, though there were hundreds of applicants, the McHardy family spread-eagle no less than five, with a total area of 8815 acres, comprising some of the choicest bits of the block.' - Mind we do not suggest that the, fact >, that W. W. McHardy drew out, the' winning marßles had anything to do with the result, but would it not have been better if some independent person had drawn those marbles ? • # • But the series of extraordinary coincidences does not end here. The Dunning family appears to have been equally fortunate. Between the Waitomo Valley and the public road there is an excellent little block of choice land, divided into three sections. The first of these, 908 acres, is won from 14 applicants by James Dunning, himself a land speculator, and not a farmer in any sense. The adjoining block of 645 acres, for which there are 20 applicants, falls, singularly enough, to Dunning's cousin, Robert Willis. And then, marvellous coincidence again, the winner of the balance of the block, 710 acres, turns up, amongst 21 applicants, in the person of Benjamin Dunning, James Dunning's brother. Thus the Dunning family have a complete estate, with adjoining boundaries, of 2268 acres. * • • The result of this ballot has excited much strong comment and aroused considerable indignation in the North. Whether this is justified, or whether the peculiarities we have pointed out are extraordinary coincidences, is beyond our philosophy. However, we are satisfied that Mr Seddon has no sympathy with anything but bona fide land settlement, and if there is anything in these remarkable coincidences, calling for investigation, we are satisfied that he will leave no stone unturned to get at the root of the trouble, and prevent abuse of any kind whatever from creeping into our system of public land allotment.