The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 1890. VILLAGE SETTLEMENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2080, 2 August 1890, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 1890. VILLAGE SETTLEMENT.

Who does not remember the terrible noise there was made last election over the Hon, Mr Ballance’s village settlements. He was almost pilloried for settling the unemployed on the land instead of paying them money for doing useless work. It will be remembered that we have always supported Mr Ballance in this matter, and the result proves we were correct. Speaking on the subject in Parliament Mr Ballance (Hansard, page 198) said: — : In the space of fourteen or fifteen months there were settled, four years ago, 913''settler2 on the® o special settlements. They paid the COS* cf the surveys themselves ; they paid a large amCl?nt of the cost of the roads themselves ; and is the result f The total amount received from these people is £30,805. Last year there was received from them £10,649, aud the total amount in arrear at the end Of March last was only £1409. These people carried on the work of colonisation without the aid of the Government. Now, if we take the figures relating to the deferred-payment system, and compare them with those quoted in reference to the special settlements, we shall see that the deferred - payment settlers held 536,000 acres on the 31at March last, and that the amount they are in arrear is £25,000. We see, therefore, how favorably the special settlements compare with them.

Mr Ballance goes on to speak of the village settlements, and accused the Government of having kept back reports whish were too favorable and showed the great success of the settlements. The report of the Canterbury settlements was not submitted to the House because it would not suit the Government to let the country know that settlements bad been so successful. With regard to the way the North Island settlements were paying their way, he said :—• The total amount received from land taken up in these settlements last year was £2154, and the total advances have ffeen £21,334; so that, valuing the land at 15s per acre—which, I think, is a fair average—+be cost of the land has been §£17,044, making altogether a sum ofi

£38,978; and the return received in one year has been at the rate of per cent on that amount. Can the honorable gentleman show that,we have any class of settlers who are paying more tnan that ? Let the reader remember now that in spite of all the present Government did to crush these settlements, the result is that they are paying per cent, on the capital value of the land as well as the money expended oh them, so that the Government has never invested money better than in this way. Peeing this, can anyone, rich or poor, stand up and say that Mr Ballance’s policy was wrong. Had this policy been carried out the thousands ot people who have loft the colony during the past years wsiild have been digging their own livelihood out of the soil, and assisting us all to pay taxation. The whole thing comes to this; What was wanted was to starve the people into lowering wages, but the time for that has gone by, and the day is approaching when large land-owners and money-rings will not have it all their own way.