LANDS FOR THE PEOPLE.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2529, 13 February 1877, Page 3

LANDS FOR THE PEOPLE.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.)

Sic, —Some let'ers have appeared since the public meeting took" place, trying to throw dishonor on its conveners. I fail to see the justice of so doing while the present "system continues. I cannot see why one clique should not take advantage where it can as well as another, I fail to see the superiority of Mr Broomhall's clique to the others that opposed it afc the public meeting, unless the advantage lay in strengthening the Good Templar clique at the expense of the others, and bringing out more immigrants to make cliqueism still stronger. I fail to see any benefit except to the society, as none can derive any benefit unless they belong to it; and any Government that grants large blocks of land to societies merely fosters cliqueism and gives it for that purpose, to keep men split up into parties; and as there is plenty of cliqueism here without sending abroad for more, I certainly sympathise with the conveners of the public meeting, that those should get the-lands we know something of, sooner than those of whom we know nothing, on the principle of selfpreservation being the first law of nature ; for if we can't help ourselves we..'can't, help strangers, and strangers, don't like to give help as a rule ; and if tho- land 13 sold 01? given wholesale to cliques the people suffer, for those not belonging to any get none, or only about as much as the cliques like to give, and if this system continues there will be no land open for selection, so that the only system open for the people is. the deferred payment,, as it will tend to break up cliqueism, and let a man get a bit of land because he is one, and not because he belongs to a particular society.—l am, &c, Pho Bono Public 0. Feb. 12th, 77.