LAND SETTLEMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 107, 10 May 1904, Page 2

LAND SETTLEMENT.

The Hon. T. Y, Duncan has been giving his views upon lan-d settlement to a " Press " reporter in Christchurch, and, according to his ideas the demand for land in tire south is not very keen. With reference to the Edendule estate, lately purchased and thrown open by the Government, it appears that a considerable portion of tlie land was not applied for, although the Minister asserts that the prices asked by the Government were not excessive. Mr Duncan thinks that there had been a lack of people who were in a position to take up land, and he expresses his intention of stocking the unsold portion of the estate and working it on behalt of the Government. As regards lund settlement in the northern part of the Auckland district tl>e Minister told his interviewer that two strong reasons militated against its success. Tho first was that men employed in the timber industry could make from X,2 10s to £5 a week, while those engaged in gunidiggihg earned irom 10s to £1 a day. Consequently, no interest to speak of was tak?!l in land settlement, and 110 demand had bepn made for it. In from 12 to 14 years, however, it was estimated that the timber business would be pretty well finished, and if something was not done now to attach the people to the soil, the noi th, when tile collapse came, would be in a very bad state indeed. Ho th-erelore proposed next session to introduce an Aid to Settlement Bill, allowing the people in the vicinity of those timber industries to take up land without rent, and subject only to the settlement' conditions. The extent of the holdings would depend op the quality -of the land, but sufficient "would lie given to allow every settler to make a living. It is satisfactury to note that something is to he done for the "neglected north" at last. There can be but little doubt that the northern district has not had its share of public attention, despite the bitter cry for roads that had gone up from the settlers for years past, in yiew, too, of recent experience with Mendale it is possible that the GoY()riimej)t may slack off its landpurchasing jvftb advantage, and apply more money to the development ot the lands already in its hands.