The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 1890. LAND SETTLEMENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2024, 25 March 1890, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 1890. LAND SETTLEMENT.

While Mr Stead and others are busying themselves about increasing the population the Minister of Land is doing his best to prevent it, by the way he has been disposing of Crown lands. The Dundedin Herald has exposed some of his recent doings. Before he came into power restrictions were placed on the acquisition of land, no man being allowed to take more than would carry 20,000 sheep or 5000 head of cattle. One of the first acts of the present Ministry was to repeal this, and now the Herald says:—

Tf carried out in Shag Valley, instead of all the country side held by Sir Dillon 801 l falling back into his hands at least twenty families could now be settled in comfort. It is the want of land settlement that is making Dunedin languish in its business. It is the want of settlement that is crippling trade. Lt is the want of settlement that is driving our mechanics to other colonies and countries. It is the want of settlement that make 3 our merchants look gruesome and unpleasant, for their stocks accumulate. Shag Valley settlers, led by their able and indefatigable member, ¥r John Mackenzie, asked that the runs now held by Sir Dillon Bell should be opened for small sheep run settlement. Th« Land Board, composed as it is of practical agriculturists—Mr Dallas, Mr Duncan, Mr Thomson—all concurred in the request, and asked the Minister to give efL-ct to it. But no ! The Minister's on!y way of settlement is to sell land or give it to big runholders, so he opposed the proposal, and declined to sanction the small-run system ; and the Upper Shag Valley district, instead of being the homes of numerous families, will reniiin a sheop-walk, and settlers, say, who werfl anxious to have homes must go Australia or America in search of what is unobtainable in their native country. In the faee of this transaction no one will, we imagine, doubt the disposition of the Minister of Lands. He has shown it since the first day he came into office. He has on all occasions favored the acquisition of land in large areas, and has done everything in his power to prevent the people from getting any share of it. He has done his best to destroy the perpetual-leasing system, but it has prospered in spite of him; he hae tried to destroy village settlements, but failed. He has set his face against everything except the selling of land for cash. He has pushed this system with all his might, iu the hope of being able to get money and have a surplus at the end of the year. That has been his ideal of land administration—to "put money into his purse." He cares nothing for settlement so long as he can get money, and be able to produce a surplus. Fortunately the people are not so easily led as he would like. The great majority of them prefer the perpetual leases, and thus in spite of him the land fund Terrains low. It is absolutely useless for us to expect an increase of population in this colony while the public estate is being handed over ia large areas to a few people like Sir Dillon Bell. We may establish bureaus and agents in all parts of the world, but so long as it is true that our own young men have to seek their living in foreign countries all we may do cannot help us. People will not come to a colony the youth and manhood of which are flying from it. It is nonesense to expect it. The best population we can have are our sons and daughters. Let us keep them, by giving them scope for their energies on the land, but this evidently we Cannot do while the present Minister retains office, and, therefore, the sooner he is turned out of it the better.