THE RESERVES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1365, 14 July 1885, Page 2

THE RESERVES.

TO THB EDITOR. Sir, —Will you be kind enough to give me a small space to thank " A Uesprve Holder," of Geraldine, for his sensible letter of July 6th. 1 quite agree with that gentleman that tendering is bad—-mors so in land than in labor, because if you wrong a man ha may quickly recover it; but do a wrong to the land by bad cultivation, and it will do harm to yon and others after you. Thus cheap lend and fair valuation for improvements would, as " A Reserve Holder " points out, enable holders to get a living and employ some of the surplus labor of the country. I am given to understand some pay 10s, 7s, ss, 2s 6d, and Is per acre. Let that be as it may, I contend the best way to meet the present distress and the hateful word unemployed, is by cutting up the most suitable reserves into, say 30 or 50 acres for each bona fide family. The man could teach his bods the great lessons of industry. Then " A Reserve Holder" with his capital should be allowed to take part of those thousands of acres now held by large squatters and the Banks, nder the Perpetual Leasing Act. It would bo fair to the man with his 50 as the man with 500 acre*. Each would reap the fruit of his own industry. I know what it is to hold land at a high rental and no compensation allowed for improvements. I admit it to be a hardship indeed, and especially where a family goes over a doz'i). Let us all pull together until justice is done in the land that God gave to the children of men ; Who 6aid : " Ye shall not soil the land for ever.''— I am, etc., Henry Goodet. Temuka, July 9, 1885.