DANGER OF RE-AGGREGATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1920, Page 5

DANGER OF RE-AGGREGA-TION.

A POINTED PROTEST. A plea for further legislation to pre-' vent the reaggregation of first-class lands by wealthy farmers was made at the Inglewood County Council inaugural dinner on Friday, by Mr.-.J. H. Lyon, a member of the Moa'Road Board, in'proposing the toast of "The Government." Mr. Lyon said he had much pleasure in drawing attention to the Minister of Lands and- his Department for the efforts being made for settling returned soldiers on the land, which had been a great success. He was glad to hear that 700,000 acres of the best available Crown land was set aside for settlement by returned soldiers, but lie urged that more estates should be cut up. The speaKer ~ referred particularly to n certain district in the Minister of Lands' electorate where one family had absorbed about 40 or 50 farms, and the district now re- ' minded him of Oliver Goldsmith's "Deserted Village," home after home which once was occupied being now deserted. He urged that legislation should be passed making it impossible for homes being broken up once they were established, through the reaggre'gation of lands by the wealthy land-owners. In his opinion all first-class land should be cut into small holdings instead of some pooplo being allowed to hold large areas, thereby compelling the new settlers to go right into the backblocks where there were no roads or'comforts. The Government bad done a certain amount to prevent the reaggregation of first-class lands by passing legislation, but they had not done enough, nnd he hoped that his few remark: would bear fruit, and something would be done in the direction of making more first-class land, which ! was now jn the hands of a few, available for closer settlement by the soldier*.