THE LAND HUNGER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8553, 11 October 1907, Page 5

THE LAND HUNGER.

(To theEJitor.j Sir,—The following statement is reported in Hansard, in a debate that took place over the Land and Income Assessment Act Amendment Bill:—Mr Massey made a statement that psople were leaving this Dominion on account of not being abie to obtain land here. The Hon. R. McNab tried to confute this statement by stating that during t the months of February, March, April, June ar.d July, there were throughout the colony one hundred and twenty-four sections offered to the public, ar.d for this number of sections there were 11,175 applicants, which gots to pvove that out of this great number of applicants only .124 were successful; the balance, 11,051, left A the baJlot-box disappointed. This I think, goes a long way in favour of Mr Massey's statement. It also, goes a long way to cause the people of this young Dominion to ponder over such a state of affairs. We have less than a million people in the Dominion, yet within a period of five months no less than 11,051 left the ballot-box disappointed, and I honestly believe thst if sufficient land were open for selection, more than double the number mentioned above would be only tco glad to get the opportunity of settling upon the land. Tlri« state of affairs leads one to suppose that a very great change in the land ad-" ministration is necessary, and that quickly. As has been pointed out'in the House by more than one of its members, many thousands, indeed hundred of thousands of pounds has been lost to the intending settlers of this country, through the unprogressive and deplorable administration of the Government in reference to the settlement of land, and I think the long suffering people of Masterton could say "Amen" to such a statement as that being voiced by some of the members of the House.—l am, etc., J.M. Masterton, October 10th, 1907.