LAND AGGREGATION

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 143, 20 June 1916, Page 4

LAND AGGREGATION

The Prime Minister brought doAvn upon himself a shoAver of derisive “Ohs’ in the House last Wednesday A\dien he seriously stated to Members that he did not believe there had been a single case of land aggregation in recent years. Of course, Ave hesitate to question the A'eracity of the Prime Minister of New Zealand, but avc -do not hesitate to say that politics slioav distinct signs of deterioration, and that they have sunk to a gutter level unparallelled during the last thirty years. Mr Massey has time and again been given instances of land agaggregation and he invariably assumes an attitude of egotistical presumption and says on every occasion that it Avas a case in Avhich the land Avas originally so poor that settlers at the time Avere unable to make a living off it. But it is noticed that this same land becomes alright Avhen the aggregator or speculator gets it, and as in the case of the Rotorua land, it can be cut up for comparatiAmly small grazing farmers. The Member lor the Hutt dreAV the Minister’s attento a case only fifteen miles from Wellington. Everybody knows hoAv longsuch land has been settled, and how long occupiers have been improving it and getting a living off it, and yet it is the same old tale “It Avas too poor when it was settled.” That song might pan out alright in new’ settled country, perhaps, but in old settled country such replies are ad nauseum in the extreme.. The Premier says the prosperity of the country Avill be better assured by having a large number of men Avith moderate sized farms than by large holdings. To this every Member in the House shouted hear, hear. In vain Ave look for the pursuance of a policy founded on such a belief; noAvhere do Ave see moderate sized farms coming into existence, but Ave do see large estates growing up in this young district that are going to act as a brake on its progress for many years to come, If Mr Masse>-.-4s in earnest in his posturings, we can point him to plenty of land that would make ideal farms such as lie pictures. As a matter of fact he was to have personally viewed seme of this land, but he became too busy. It seems that when the Premier is available the land will be gone. We are daily expecting a repetition of the Rotorua trick being performed on the Taihape hinterlands.