LAND SETTLEMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 158, 29 July 1909, Page 2

LAND SETTLEMENT

■SETTLEMENT OF WASTE LANDS. 13EFOUE PURCHASING PiUVATE LANDS. DISCUSSION Ai FARMERS' CON.I'. ;uencl. By Telegrajjii. —Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Au interesting discussion took place at, the Dominion Conference of the Fanners' Union to-uay on the introduction of a Taranaki remit to the ellect that the waste lands should be settled in preference to the purchase of private estates for subdivision. It drew out ail expression of opinion from several dele-, •rates in favor of tlie Lands for Settle* i uiont Act and a testimony to the beneI licient ell'cct of the Act. The advocates (,f the settlement of big estates, who also pointed out the need of guarding against aggregation, had their way, and the motion was amended to meet their views. Mr. J. W. Jones (Taranaki) moved, That while there is so much waste land in New Zealand (both Crown and native) awaiting settlement, this conference of the New Zealand Farmers Union considers it worse than folly to ec;itinue borrowing in the foreign lintr* ket to purchase improved private estates for the purpose of leasing to settlr»r«. the (iovennnent acting as money lenders in collecting the rents to pay inUv»st on the borrowed money, thereby creating a gigantic system of absentee landlordism that must ultimately .prove disastrous to the Dominion.

If the money spent in purchasing estates were spent in opening up such l,inds and loading them, said Mr. Jones, settlement would lie better served, while work would thereby be found for the unemployed. Mr. E. .Maxwell seconded.

The remit, declared Mr. E. Lane .Hawke's Bay) was a direct censure ot ,'ic present Lands for Settlement Act, md that, he thought, was not the policy

Df the Farmers' Union. A great many in tlie Union supported the Act. He thought himself that it was a sound and proper principle. The policy should be continued. It was adopted by many

people who could not go on the land 'n other ways. Land that formerly carried pnly one sheep to the acre now that it was more closely settled carried two. The Act was for the good of the country. He agreed with the view of the president that the freehold of Ciown lands should be granted, and the money spent in opening up the country. They should, however, have provision against aggregation. They must endeavor to prevent this. Mr. John McQueen (Invercargill) also thought the resolution might be taken to read that the Union was against the Lands for Settlement Act. They were not. What they wanted was the option of the freehold. Mr. W. Lcadley thought the Government should for the present stay its hand in regard to purchasing settled estates, and spend some money on opening up the waste lands. On behalf uf Taranaki, Mr. E. Maxwell protested against any amendment of the resolution, which expressed the T.'iranaki view on the question. It was pointed out by the president that the Conference would have to take care to make itself understood clearly, ft would not do to have any misunderstanding. Mr. Clothier (Canterbury) considered that if the Government had not settled estates as they had there would have been far more unemployed. The Lands

ior Settlement Act had bt'Gn a boon to the country lands, which had boon sot tied and wore now producing double the wealth tln-y formerly did. The opinion of many delegates being that the remit implied that the Union was not favorable to the Lands for Settlement Act, an amendment was .proposed by ill 1 . Li'iidley, This was i,i the shape of a preamble to the effect that the Union approved of the Act in question but that in the meantime its operation should be postponed while there was so much waste lands, etc.

After some desultory discussion, the resolution was re-drafted and passed in the following form, the Taranaki delegates intimating that they would stand or fall by'it:—That while there is so .iiiK'h waste land in New Zealand (both Crown and •native) awaiting settlement, this Conference considers it inadvisable to continue borrowing money in the foreign market for the purchase of private estates while by the sale of Crown lands sufficient money could be procured for the settlement of Crown and native lands under the Lands for Settlement Act.

There was a proposal that the discussion should be adjourned and a committee set up to draft a comprehensive motion, but strong objection was made to there being any further delay.