The Daily News MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 1905. THE LAND COMMISSION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7725, 30 January 1905, Page 2

The Daily News MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 1905. THE LAND COMMISSION.

3 The personnel of the Land Commi!-:--t sion is one to which not the slight r est exception can be taken in the matter of judicial ability and knowledge of the conditions with which c the Commission .will have to dealIn the chairman, Mr W. S. Reidl we have a gejitfeman with a loDg experience in legal work, and in the " drafting of bills, and one who has necessarily a full acquaintance with all the complicated land tenures and laws of this colony. Mr Mclverrow r , who was for many years SurveyorGeneral of the colony, has necessar- . ily an intimate and practical acquaintance not only with the value of the colony's lands at the present timet but also with the conditions , obtaining when they were originally taken up. In financial matters I and questions affecting the legal difficulties with which settlors often have to deal, Mr J. M. Johnston ■ will be of the greatest help to the Commission, and in considering the settlement of newly-openod laud under the Lands' for Settlement Act, tiie practical experience of Mr G. N. „ Forbes, of Cheviot, must be of most I material value. All the world over j farmers are proverbially given to i grumbling, tat in the matter of the Land Coininislsioii we do not think , they can complain oC being inadequately represented. Out of a body of then they have at least, seven who ■ are directly interested in agriculture and these are for the most part practical farmers themselves'. The Trades and Labour Council has a representative in Mi- J.- T. Paul, the • president of the Olago Trades and Labour Council. The warrant appointing the Commission directs under fourteen heads a full and very 1 searching inquiry, the text of which we print in another part of this isI sue. It will be seen from a perusal of these that there Is no phase of the tenure oi land or the lot of tileCrown tenant which can escape at- ■ tention.. Dt remains now for those who have grievances or cause of dist satisfaction to set to work and apj point representatives to appear before the Commission and substanti- ' ate tEase. Our back-block settlers, whose main grievance has to do with ithe absence of passable roads, will have a better opportunity of drawing public attention to their v?ry real hardships than they have hitherto had, and ive look to those in ■this district who have toeen agitating so long to make a good statement of their case. There are many other- issues which amy be laid before the Commission: under clause 3 of the warrant, and under clause 10 ,we expect to lind a mass of evidence adduced to show that Crown lessees do realjiy labour under great disabilities in tihe matter of obtain-lng sufficient money for the adequate development of their holldings. Urader c!ause 2 undoubtedly there will be offered a mass of evidence bearing on the question of leasehold and freehold, and about the conclusion reached concerning tills ma'tter the chief interest will centre. Whatever the ultimate result may be, we feel very satisfied that there will eventually be presented to Parliament an epoch-making report on the whole subject and one which w,ill practically settle for many years the question of tenures in New Zealand. We desirte to compliment the Government upon the discrimination which' hast 'been shown in the selection of members and the avoidance of any appearance of partisanship in its choice of representative men.

ON THE FOURTH PAGE. Literature.: Women in Burma. The "Land o' Cakes."