MR. WAKEFIELD'S LECTURE.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 800, 2 April 1853, Page 3

MR. WAKEFIELD'S LECTURE.

On Thursday evening a lecture was delivered at the Wellington Athenaeum by Mr. E. Gibbon Wikefield, "on the Causes and Effects of the Monopoly of Waste Land in Colonies." The hall wak well filled by members tnd visitors, but* the proportion of the fair sex among the audience was not so numerous as is usual on the occasion of a lecture. Mr. Wakefield commenced his lecture by observing that there was no subject in a colony of equal importance with its waste lands, both as it affected the welfare of individuals and the prosperity of the colony at large. The consideration of the whole subject, he said, was too extensive for the limits ot a single lecture, and in treating of the causes ahd effects of mo-

nopoly of waste lands, although it was impossible to avoid political considerations, since the subject was in itself an important branch of political economy, yet agreeably to the pledge he had given to the officers of the Institution, and in conformity with the wise rule of the Society which forbad the discussion of subjects of a political nature, he should handle the topic in no party spirit, but in a spirit of scientific inquiry, and above all, apart from considerations to individual* either as officials or in private life. Mr. Wakefield then defined the monopoly of waste lands to be that state of things in which the waste lands of a colony are shut up against settlement ; in which a small community is surrounded by waste land and yet precluded from indulging that natural and laudable desire of acquiring and improving land which would promote individual and general prosperity. He traced the history of the different Southern settlements, and observed that from a variety of causes nearly the whole country was closed up against settlement and condemned to waste. One principal cause of monopoly — the same which formerly impeded colonization in America — was the occupation of the land by native tribes in their own peculiar way *, it therefore became necessary that the native title should be extinguished, either by confiscation or by the gentler process of purchase, whjcb. , might be carried out in two different ways, by the colonists or by Government. In New Zealand the non-extinction of the native title was almost the sole cause of monopoly, and this operated so generally as to prevent the other causes from coming into play. Another most potent and mischievous cause of monopoly was the system of profuse grants of land to a few persons, who kept whole districts waste these were the veritable dogs in the manger, who would neither use the land themselves, nor suffer it to be profitably occupied by others. He said that all colonies had suffered more or less from this this cause, with the exception of New South Wales for the last twenty years, New Zealand, Victoria, and South Australia, and designated this kind of monopoly as the weed of colonization, which vegetates most luxuriantly and spreads with the greatest rapidity. Another cause of monopoly arose from the practice of reservidg land by Government, by the Government virtually saying to colonists, "we know better than you can, what is best for your interests," and so preveniing them from settling where they would choose, and sometimes causing them to leave the colony altogether ; and ultimately perhaps granting the land to some Company or other monopoly who would exact a high price from the bond fide settler ; of this class Mr. Wakefield gave as an example Newcastle, in New South Wales. Mr. Wakefield described as a third cause of monopoly the deficiency of surveys. Before land could be selected it was necessary it should be surveyed and mapped, and froma deficiency of the surveys ' the following evils resulted : — First, that the settlement in unsurveyed districts was discouraged and prevented ; and secondly, for want of a proper survey the working man and bond fide settler was unable to select the particular spot he wanted, and immense advantage was thereby afforded to the monopolist. After dwelling some time on this part of the subject, Mr. Wakefield observed it was of so much importance that, if agreeable to his audience, he should be happy to go into it on some other occasion. Mr. Wakefield instanced the price of land as another great cause of monopoly ; if too high it closed the land against all settlement, if it were fixed so low as not to deter land jobbers, they would either lay hold of whole districts or pick out and appropriate to themselves the choice spots of a district so as to monopolize it as effectually as if they had purchased the whole of it. It had happened in New South Wales that the Cost of land was less at ss. per acre than the amount of fees for free grants of land, and he referred in further illustration of this part of the subject to Canada and America, in which latter country he said he had travelled for days together over land the property of speculators who kept it waste, biding their time until they could sell it at such a price a3 would not only return them their money with accumulated interest, hut leave a handsome profit besides, — but observed that with reference to the question of cheap or dear land, where all, or nearly all in Wellington were on one side, there was no party question to discuss. The words cheap or dear Mr. Wakefield said he used solely with reference to the eflect the price had on the monopoly of land ; from dear ness of land resulted Government monopoly, from cheapness private monopoly ; when the Government creates monopoly by too high a price the evil was not incurable, but in private monopoly the evil was irremediable, as the public property was parted with for ever, and the land became dear in proportion as the monopolist gets it cheap. Mr. Wakefield described private monopoly to be the main grievance of Canada, by its means a powerful class was called into existence, the land pwners and j their agents, who might be termed the waste land aristocracy. In New South Wales the \ aristocracy of squatters had control over an area twice' the extent of the New Zealand Islands, comprising 150 millions of acres, which they held under leases for fourteen years at a low rent. These leases did all the mischief, as the squatters were banded together as one man to convert these lands into freeholds, and were gradually getting the powers of Government into their own hands. A landed aristocracy, he said would become more or less powerful until ultimately they got the dominion over the pther classes. In Canada the contest had been between the monopolists and the people, the whole power of that country had fallen into the hands of the '• family compact," and the evils resulting from this state of things had been a powerful cause of the rebellion. Another effect of monopoly, he said.was to deprive the colonists from the benefits of the land revenue in raising loans for the improvement of the colony. Mr. Wakefield described the feeling of persons of weight in the money market in England to be very favouiable to advancing loans to New Zealand on the security of its land revenue for its internal improvement, as the money would be employed to increase the security, and finding its way into the pockets of the settlers a large portion would be spent in, buying waste land. The money might be borrowed by the colony on the ■ystem of the Trust and Loan Cora-

panics of New York, and he illustrated in de« tail the operation of this system as applied to New Zealand. "I maybe asked," continued Mr. Wakefield, " What, would you have New Zealand get into debt ? My reply would be that a colony only prospers when it does get largely into debt." He referred to Canada, the condition of which at the period of Lord Durham's mission was poor, stagnant, and distracted, and from the effects of private monopoly, almost hopeless of improvement. A loan of £ 1 ,500,000 had been advanced under the guarantee of the Imperial Parliament for the purposes of internal improvement ; new roads were made, districts not subject to private monopoly were opened up, communications were improved, public works were carried' out, and in short a flourishing state of things prevailed in which every one participated, even doctors, lawyers, milliners, and dancing masters. In the same way he would desire to see New Zealand get into debt in order that she may go a-head. After a few further observations Mr. Wakefield concluded his lecture by thanking his audience for the patient attention with which they had heard him. The lecture was listened to with great attention and was favourably received, but evidently not with that heartiness and cordiality which would have been evinced if there had*been a unanimous feeling in favour of the lecturer. Mr. Clifford rose at the conclusion to propose the thanks of the meeting to Mr. Wakefield for his lecture, which he suggested should be conveyed by three cheers, but his suggestion received no attention.