Untitled

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 922, 2 March 1881, Page 4

On Friday evening next, in the County Council, Cr. McKay is to move the following notice of motion, a record of which was made at the last sitting of the Council : — “ That this Council take into consideration the advisability of urging the Auckland Waste Lands Board to bring the Homestead Act into force in this district; and that a letter be written to the Government for the same purpose. The blocks advised to be opened are—Balance of Patutahi, part of Motu, Waihau, Hungaroa, and Waimata. ”

Wehave small hope that Cr. McKay’s motion will be carried. If he expects to get his motion through the Council, except by a fluke, or, by a process uneuphoniously known as “ the skin of the teeth,” he may be much mistaken. We may as well take the bull by the horns at once and declare our opinion that with the large land-holdinginterest represented in the County Council, there is little likelihood —their protestations to the contrary notwithstanding —that the holders of those interests will take action calculated to depreciate their individual properties. Publicspirit is a very good thing in its way ; but when the duty we owe to our neighbour trenches a little bit on the duty we owe to ourselves, which, we ask, as a rule goes to the wall ? However, Cr. McKay is to be commended for bringing as severe a test question forward, as he could have selected, in order to try the relative strength of parties. We shall look forward to the result with something more than usual interest,, for by the votes of Councillors on this all-important question shall the ratepayers be able to form an opinion as to how far they act for the furtherance of their own interests or those of the public generally. With regard to the Homestead Act itself, or the system of free selection under its provisions, little appears to be known, at least practically, because, with the exception of in the north of Auckland, no blocks have been proclaimed, wherein applications could be made. We have not been able to obtain a copy of the Act; but the following epitome of it—for which we are indebted to Brett’s almanac for this year—will give a good idea of the benefits it confers :— The lands are divided into first-class lands and second-class lands, according to quality, and are so marked upon the Government plans. The area allowed each person of the age of 18 years or upwards is: of first-class land, 50 acres; or of second-class, 75 acres. For persons under 18 years of age : of firstclass land, 20 acres ; or of second-class, 30 acres. For each block a district surveyor’ or other duly authorised officer is appointed, and intending settlers must lodge a written a’pplication with him between the hours of 10 a.m and 4 p.m., such application to state names and ages of the applicants and describe the situation, class of land, and number of acres they have taken possession of, together with the date whereon they took possession, also to whom it is intended that a grant or grants shall issue upon fulfilment of the conditions of selection, and no application shall be received for a less area than 20 acres, and not more than 200 acres of first-class, or 300 acres of second-class lands can be held or occupied by any number of persons living together in one household. The land will be allotted according to priority of application ; but when two or more applications are received at the same time the ownership must be decided by lot. Every selection must, so far as the features of the country will permit, be of a rectangular

form, and when fronting ,on a road, river, lake, dr coast, be of a depth not less than three times the length of the frontage—no selection to monopolise the wood or water or landing-place m any particular locality. Under special circumstances the Waste Lands Commissioner may permit occupants to complete their selections by the purchase of adjoining lands in blocks of irregular shape and small extent. Every selector of land shall have the same surveyed at his own expense by a duly authorised surveyor, and deliver at the Waste Lands Office, within six months after taking possession, a correct certified plan. Only timber for improvements or domestic purposes may be cut without the special sanction of the Commissioner until the conditions on which the selection is made have been finally completed. At the end of the period of five years, a grant or grants shall issue for the lands selected, provided the selector has not forfeited his right thereto. The conditions to entitle to Crown Grant or conveyance are : Continuous residence on the land for five years ; the erection of a permanent dwellinghouse, valued £5O, within twelve months from the commencement of such residence ; annual cultivation of one-fifteenth of area selected if open land, or one twenty-fifth if bush land, together with the fulfilment of conditions imposed by the Act and regulations.

Possibly, there are not a few amongst us who have never heard of the Homestead Act; and many others who are even less acquainted with the immense advantages arising therefrom. We, therefore, propose to say a word or two on the subject, preparatory to Cr. McKay’s motion being discussed by the County Council. The “ Homestead Act ” is a local ordinance, passed by the Provincial Council of Auckland, during Mr. G-illies’ Superinfiendency some 12 years since, and was intended to take the place of what was known at that time, as the “ forty acre ” system. The new Act, however, was not destined to have a fair and square trial; for there were two opposing forces brought to bear against it. First, the land monopolists and speculators. These people saw that it tended to keep land at a nominal paying price, since, under it, no capitalist could buy a large block of land from the Government, and sell it to intending Settlers, at many times its value; while it.made Itonafide settlement an indispensable condition —an objectionable . feature they'would not recognize in their own first persons. The second cause was the Public Works Scheme of Mr. J(jlius Vouel. With plenty of work high Wages, and cheap money, men’s minds were unsettled, as far as plodding industry, looking to the future, was concerned ; and that attention was not paid to actual settlement, which should be in a young Colony. But, as bvils are said to work their own cure, the inflation, caused by an artificial state of affairs during the last few years, has come to an end ; and the cry is now for more shoulders to bear the burden of taxation under which the Colony is staggering—that burden can only be lessened by putting lands in the market in such form, and under such conditions as will induce settlers to occupy and subdue it, not merely speculators to buy it. ' Such people would found homes ; become producers; and help to relieve the towns of their present over-crowded, non-producing population. The question is: With land at from 20s and upwatds per acre, can this be done ? There is plenty of land going a begging at that price, which would, probably, be eagerly taken up under the Homestead Act. Although that Act can safely be said to be one of the wisest and most liberal measures adapted to the early struggles of a Colony like New Zealand, its operations have, through the influence of speculators, and the monied classes,, backed by the Waste Lands Board, been confined to the country north of Auckland, where the land is poorest, and communication with the metropolis, and the outside world very precarious. SHU, it is impossible to say that even there it has been a failure ; and, saying that much, we may enquire what it would be (as we hope it soon will be) if in force in our own district ? Brett’s Almanac continues : — lifty applicants selected 8,816 acres during the 12 months, 1879-80, and since the introduction of the system a total of 260 selectors have taken up 46,271 acres, or an average of 178 acres to each. But, as no one, unless representing a family or household, may select more than 75 or 50 acres, according to quality of land, and, if under 18 years, from 30 to 20 acres, it is evident that in the high average of

178 acres to each selection there is a family represented by each selector. About 79,000 acres in various localities in Auckland are now open on this system, which requires no payment whatever for the land, the only cost to the selector being the cost of survey. There is a set towards this system at present, several selectors having come up lately from Canterbury. It would be profitable to consider tbe advantages that would accrue to this part of the East Coast under the Homestead system, or some other more liberal land law. We have, say, over 300,000 acres of Crown land ib.' Poverty Bay. But, leaving out those portions that are too rough for anything but grazing purposes, and allow that there are 200,000 acres fit for actual settlement, this would give—if all were open under the Homestead Act, on an average of, say, 150 acres each—l3so selections • these selections, again, if averaged at the rate of, say five in each family would result in settling no less a number than 6750 souls, and, that possibly within a very short time; for we cannot suppose that land so far superior as the Poverty Bay land is to that of North Auckland, would not be taken up and settled on with alacrity—probably within the next 2 or 3 years. All this would mean increased trade; more demand for lands in private hands ; a rise in price, equivalent With demand, for what we produce ; more labor for the capitalist.; certainty, and continuance of work for the laborer ; increased income to the County and Road; Boards; additional revenue to the Government; advancement in the general prosperity, and a lifting benefit to all concerned. We shall, probably, recur to this subject again; but in the meantime we wait with great solicitude, the result of Mr. McKay’s notice of motion on Friday next.