SHOULD LAND BE GIVEN AWAY?

Southland Times, Issue 1240, 22 April 1870, Page 3

SHOULD LAND BE GIVEN AWAY?

According to the Mining Becord, there is one idea that should be promulgated ' { by every person who desires the permanent prosperity of New South Wales. It is this. There are millions of acres of land within our province lying idle ; it is wasting its energies upon the wilderness. We travel from the Murray to Port Jackson, and pass through almost limitless tracts of these unreclaimed lands. Much of it, to be sure, is ostensibly em ployed in affording sustenance to sheep, cattle, and horses, but, in reality, wastes itself in supplying nutriment to valueless timber and scrub. The colony derives no benefit from it— the paltry rental, when tested by the way matters are arranged in the more civilised portions of the globe, assumes the condition of a farce. Efforts should be made to render this land valuable. If the colony would give the land away, and thus induce ablebodied and industrious men possessing small capital to come and settle upon it, something would be accomplished. If a person can be induced to settle upon the land, and by his labor, or his money, improve it, the capital is added to the wealth of the colony. By this means, ultimately, we shall have something tangible upon which to levy taxes to pay our comparatively large colonial debt. Everything that is done to improve the land — every substantial house or other building that is erected — adds so much to the wealth and resources of the country. We should desire to discourage the hand-to-mouth system that seems to pervade all classes of society. Place the land and other natural resources of the country within the reach of every one who has disposition, labor, . or money to improve it; the capital of the colony will then constantly be increasing. It is time to adopt a policy that will add permanent wealth to the country. If such a policy is adopted, and carried out in good faith, it is not unreasonable to suppose that, in the course of ten years, upon the recurrence of our Anniversary Day. we may be able to point with pride to the progress we have made. — Sydney Mail.