MINISTER OF LANDS. A PRE-SESSIONAL ADDRESS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 363, 27 April 1889, Page 4

MINISTER OF LANDS. A PRE-SESSIONAL ADDRESS.

Invercakgill, April 25. The Hon. G. F. Richardson, Minister of Lands, addressed the Mataura ©lectors at Wyndham on Monday night, receiving a vote of thanks and confidence. The speech dealt chiefly with the land question. He expressed the bslief that the time would arrive ere long when the Land Acts would be consolidated, in which case deferred payment systems might be abolished, perpetual lease better answering all purposes. The land sold last year was more than double the average of that of the four preceding years, and settlement was being developed at a reduction in the cost of administration. The Minister said none had the interest of settlement more at heart than he, but he would not consent to drive one flock of sheep off land in order to put another on. In this connection he referred to the agitation for runs at Kurow, on the Waitaki River, cut up into small grazing runs. The Government did this, but the resulb had been a loss of revenue without a single additional settler going on the land. He explained that he was responsible for the mistake made in the telegram re the withdrawal of runs 28 and 28a, but said the report which came in after the sale proved that if the runs had been withdrawn they would not have sold so well as they did, apart from the fact that they were quite unsuitable for agricultural purposes. The Minister hoped economy in administration would result in a still larger surplus next year, and so warrant a reduction of taxation.