CHECKING SPECULATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 35, 4 October 1912, Page 4

CHECKING SPECULATION.

Recently the “Dunedin Star” remarked that “there has been a growing feeling in thoughtful circles that the land of the Dominion is coming to be regarded too much as a counter in the game of chance, as something that may be reproductive by reason of rising market values, rather than as

something that should be made repro- < ductive, in the truest sense, by hard ' work and scientific farming.” Commenting on this the Auckland “Star” expresses the hope that something effectual can be done to cope with; the i tendency towards speculation which | the Government deplores and hopes to j check in connection with the allotment i of Crown lands. Proceeding, the Auckland paper says there is evidence of the prevalence of the obstruction of genuine settlement by people who have no capacity for farming, and no desire to engage in it, but who simply hope to profit by' the good fortune that luck may throw in their way, and ■quotes in support of this reports of Crown Lands Commissioners in various districts. One Auckland report says:—“ln many cases forfeiture is j effected at the selector’s own request, a fruitful source of this being the selection of Crown lands, without prim - 1 personal inspection. Afterwards, 1 when the selector goes to inspect his newly-acquired property, he finds that it does not come up to his expectations, or is not the class of land he anticipated, or the locality or difficulties of transport promise to make the task of breaking-in a new area more arduous than ,lie is prepared to undertake, and he applies to be relieved of an ill-chosen bargain. It cannot be too often emphasised that the practice of selecting lands without previous inspection is, an extremely .inadvisable one.” The Canterbury Commissioner reports in similar terms“ The total number of holdings, forfeited and surrendered during the year was 20, comprising an area of 7766 acres. Fifteen of these were renewable-lease holdings in the land-for-settleraents blocks opened during the last two years. It is found that occasionally people apply for those lands without previous inspection, and after seeipg the ’ section on its ' being' allotted to them, prefer to surrender than occupy.” The Taranaki Comlnissioner is quoted as under, regarding forfeitures and surrenders during the. year:— “These took place amongst the more recent selections, and unless ail applicants for land are subjected to a personal examination as to their fitness and financial resources it is likely that a certain proportion, of them will he found unsuitable, belonging to the class who select land in ignorance of the work required to bring it into pro-

fit, and move as a venture.” The “Star” concludes its article by expressing the opinion that “all this seems systematic speculation in Crown leases, and it strengthens our conv:ction that it would be in the public in-

terest to sweep away the ballot system altogether, so that if there is any profit to be secured by the sale of leasehold rights, it may go to the whole community, am] not to private ipdividuals.”