WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 15 June 1917, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

LAND SETTLEMENT.

COMPULSORY PURCHASE.

WELLINGTON, June 13

The deputation that waited upon Sir Francis Bell yesterday to urge the acquisition of land in the Waipawa district for soldier settlement at least had the satisfaction of extracting from the Acting-Minister of Land a considerable amount of interesting information in regard to the

attitude of the Government towards land acquisition generally. Sir Francis laid it down as a settled policy that' In no case would compulsion be applied till negotiation had finally faield and that the owner who subdivided his land -himself and offered it tor sale would be subject to no pressure from the State. For the present the Government had no money available for the acquisition of land other

than that required by returned soldiers and no general scheme of settlement on a large scale could be considered till normal conditions were restored. THE MINISTER’S CRITICS. While everyone here agrees that the returned soldiers should have preference in the selection of land till all their reasonable requirements are satisfied some of the Minister’s crtics dissent very strongly from the other features of his policy. The extremists among them, of course, v-juM solve the whole problem by progressive taxation drastic enough to bring all the land required into the market

The) more moderate advocates d? close settlement while not going to that length protest against the man who sub-divides his big estate on paper and offers it for sale at exorbitant prices being guaranteed against interference. They maintain that this man and his kind are mainly responsible for the~ excessive land values which are pressing so hardly on the small farmer and preventing him obtaining an adequate return for his labour. CROWN LANDS. Another group of critics, who draw their arguments chiefly from the vast area of waste land Tn the Auckland provincial disrtict, declare the Government might carry through a great scheme of settlement, without purchasing a single acre from private owners if it would make intelligent use of the material it has in hand. Instead of purchasing improved land at largely inflated prices, these people contend, the Government should employ what money it has in reading the available Crown lands and assisting the men who are ready to occupy them. It has been stated, on -what seems to be good authority, that there are a million acres of land in the North of Auckland district alone which could be converted into suitable farms for returned soldiers at one-tenth the cost of purchasing a similar area of improved land. SMALL AREAS. No scheme of this sort would satisfy the needs of the men who are coming back crippled or shattered in health. These, if they go' on the land at all, will require special provision in the way of highly improved areas in the neighbourhood of some centre of population. But there is no reason why hundreds of returned soldiers and civilians should not be settled on comparatively small farms in the North of Auckland district for instance. The soil there in many parts is exceptionally rich, the climate is ideal and the means of communication easy of great improvement. A great wealth of opportunity lies here for the soldier and the civilian alike, and it ought to be made accessible to them both.