THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 1907. A VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8404, 19 April 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 1907. A VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS.

The Hon. G. Throssel, who was for five years Minister for Lands in West Australia, but who has now retired from politics, has been making a tour of this colony during the past two or three months. Mr Throssel is immensely impressed with the sheepcarrying capacity of New Zealand. He found in many parts, even during the drought in Canterbury, that they carried two sheep to the acre, and sustained no loss, while in some cases as many as four were carried. When he compared that with the conditions existing in West Australia—where he said it required five acres to one sheep, the people of New Zealand could imagine ho-.v much he was impressed. Mr Throssel has, during his sojourn in the colony, given a casual study to the < land question here. While it appeared to him that the old settlers are doing well, he had come to the conclusion that more advanced legislation for beginners was required. "I have been amazed," he says, "at the earth hunger evidenced by the people of New Zealand, their desire to get on the land, and the hardships they seem willing to face in getting there. I have met young men just starting in life, who have taken lip land in most inaccessible parts and yet, won-

derful to say, appear absolutely satisfied with their prospects, even although they are without roads, and in some instances have to get to their land with the aid of pack horses. When I asked the question, 'ls your Government doing anything for yuu?' the reply has been, 'lf they would only give us roads we would not want any other assistance.'" In West Australia there is legislation which does /away with many of the pioneering difficulties of the men of moderate capital. For some years past West Australia has been attracting" a very large number of people from South Australia and Victoria, and even a few from New Zealand. For those men of moderate means who take up land in West Australia under the compulsory conditions of improvement, and whose capital would be exhausted before they , reached the self-sup-porting stage, financial assistance, for the purpose of clearing, subdividing and so forth, is provided by the State. The excuse is thus taken away from them that they had to give up the land and work for a richer man, when their own capital was exhausted. They are thus kept on the land and enabled to comply with the compulsory conditions of improvement which the State imposes. The State provides capital to the amount of £501) at 5 per cent interest, repayable in 30 years, to such men who prove their bona fides by clearing their holdings without outside assistance. To other men the State gives a free block of 160 acres of land, and these settlers upon complying with certain conditions are entitled to further land to the extent of 1,000 acres of first-class land at 10s per acre, and are allowed 20 years' credit, without interest, in which to pay for the land. West Australia claims to have about the most liberal land laws in the world. Mr Throssel considers that in rvew Zealand the Government should give somewhat similar assistance to those young men who desire to go on the land as is done in West Australia.

A REGRETTABLE INCIDENT.

With com mendable courtesy, and, of course, at some inconvenience to themselves, the members of the Masterton Municipal Brass Band decided to play the Besses o' th' Barn Band into town, upon the latter's arrival, yesterday, at the Maslerton Station, while a number of prominent citizens were anxious to welcome-the visiting ban dsmen. The management of the Besses o' th' Barn Band do not seem to have properly appreciated the position, and the welcoming arrangements made ended in something like a fiasco. We do not, however, think for a single moment that the visiting bandsmen intended to deliberately "snub" the Masterton Band, as one speaker, at the Post Office corner, suggested. It is difficult to get at the actual facts, but from an informant we gather that there was a misunderstanding on the part of some of the visiting bandsmen, and thus the intended official welcome was spoilt. It would be as weil, however, if the management of the Besses o' th' Barn Band were to satisfactorily explain the matter before leaving the town. Certainly the Masterton bandsmen have no reason to reproach themselves with the courteous manner in which they "turned out."