THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8189, 25 July 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 1906.

Tlie movement that is on foot in Master ton to endeavour to secure oloser settlement of the land in this eleetrate is being pursued after a mnnner, but something in the way of "leadership" seems to bo wanting. A petition addressed to the Premier (Hon. W. Hall-Jones) is at present being taken round and largely signed, and in it the petitioners express oouoern that the Taueru township may< become a "deserted village." Although, of course, one wishes Taueru township and district every prosperity, at the same time it seems to be a little absurd that a large body of Masterton people should petition the Government lest Taueru beaome a "deserted village," and especially so when Taueru is not included in the Masterton electorate, Taueru, however, is inoladed iu the Wairarapa electorate, repressed by Mr J. T. M. Hornsby, M.H.K., who, in the matter of agitating for tbe oloser settlement of ihe land in his district,

has set an example which may well be followed by many members of Parliament. Certainly in the matter of the resumption of a certain estate in the Wairarapa we had no sympathy <vith the Government—it was an altDgethor abominable business, but so far as the principle of compulsory resumption is concerned it is one that in certain oases must be exorcised in the interests of the people. Compulsory resumption is, however, an extreme measure, and, like all extreme measures, should only bo resorted to in oases where the necessity justifies the action. In the Mastertoa electorate, however, there are estates which, no doubt, the owners are willing to sell, and which the Government could have purchased for years past, and in the past years at a price very much lower that would be asked to-day. It is now many years since the Liberal Government came into power, and in view of the prosperity of the colony and th« tremendous power enjoyed for so long by the Government of to day, it is gonerally admitted that the Masterton district has been neglected by the Government: in that most importanc of all matters—the settlement of the land. Now, are the Government to be blamed to much for what has occurred as the leaders of the people in this dietriot? If the people of Masterton have neglected their own interests in the past they must really abuse themselves, and not the Government, fur the present unsatisfactory state of affairs. It is necessary, therefore, that any movement to begin a work that should have been begun and largely carried out years age, should re very carefully undertaken, and steps most likely to prove effective resorted to. In view of the fact that the Hon. W. Hall-Jones ia a most temporary figure-head as Premier, it would seem to be a better plan to present a petition to Sir Joseph Ward, and at the same time for a large and, let us hope, influential deputation of Masterton townspeople to wait upon Sir Joseph and explain to him that not only is there a danger that Taueru may beoome "a deserted village,'' but that the expansion of the town of Masterton is seriously 1 retarded owing to the thinness of the population in the district surrounding the town. Mr A. W. Hogg, M.H.R., would, no doubt, very wil. lingly introduce the deputation and explain the object of its mission to Sir Joseph Ward,