"LAND OWNERSHIP AND SETTLEMENT." Auckland, October 6.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 307, 13 October 1888, Page 4

"LAND OWNERSHIP AND SETTLEMENT." Auckland, October 6.

A number of ladies and gentlemen attended at the Catholic Institute last evening ior the purpose of listening 1 to Mr C. M Crombie's lecture upon " Land Ownership and Land Settlement." The proceeds were to be devofced towards the funds of the JVJarist Brothers' School, and the Right Rev. Bishop Luck occupied the chair. A ji umber or the cleigy v/eie on the platform. Mr Campbell, U.S. Consul, also occupied a seat on the platform. Bishop Luck briefly introduced Mr Crombie, who on coming forward .said that he wished it to be distinctly understood that ho did not come ioiwaid either as a laud reformer or as a professional lecturer. He merely wished to lay before them a few tacts. Reference to the DoomsHny Book of New Zealand showed that there were in the colony 34,450 persons who held lots of not more than 5 acres, \alued at £4,140,517, while there were 80,527 persons who held larger areas, the total value of the land held being £53,000,000. He advocated a system of small land- owners. That would do away with land speculation to a great extent, more especially if a man was not allowed to hold more than one piece of land. He believed in men having free holds, as they would work harder ou their own land than if they were paid to work for it. Working men could make a place pay when the man who had to pay wages would lose on an adjoining section. Small landowners were content if they could make wages. He did not wish people to think that going on land was a picnic in the bush. It was real hard work. Mr Crombie spoke pathetically about the vigour and persistency of the mosquito in the bush in the South. He objected to tha idea that seemed prevalent that large land holders had obtained their land unfairly. He knew that many of them would have made more out of their money if they had lent it to others to buy the land, and they had drawn the interest. They could not be blamed for securing large areas of land, for any of them would have done the >-arne if they had had the chance. He thought that the State in giving the land away should take care that it did not pass into the hands of other landholders when the first holders gob into difficulties. That was not what the State intended. If they wanted the country prosperou- they must have more people settled on freeholds of their own. While it was quite true that largo areas of land could be worked more cheaply than small ones by separate owners, still it must be remembered that small farmers would work longer hours and do better in bad times than the men who had to pay wages. He considered that the Waimea Plains at Nelson weie the happiest part of New Zealand, as the land was mostly held by small owners. Had that been secured by one or two men, the appearance of the plains would have been very different. Mr Crombie also instanced various other parts of the colony which were settled by small holders. He regretted that there was a tendency in this colony to flock into towns and work in factories. He thought that the lot of the settler, though hard, was preferable to that of a factory hand. For his own part he would rather see the land settled in small holdings than the cities full of large manufactories. Mr Crombie then referred to the law of 11£ as mentioned in Besant's "Land of Gideon." He did not know of any land less fitted for manufacturing than New Zealand, because they wanted a market to export to. On the other hand, the colony was one of the best producing countries in the world. Mr Crombie considered that the North Island of New Zealand had plentiful resources, and the cost of living here was cheaper than other parts of the colony, whilst the climate was genial. At the conclusion of the lecture a vote of thanks was accorded Mr Crombie, on the motion of Bishop Luck. A similar vote was accorded the Chairman on the motion of Mr J. T. Campbell.