THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1908. THE ALLEGED LAND POLICY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9139, 15 July 1908, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1908. THE ALLEGED LAND POLICY.

That the Government hold no views that can be dignified with the description "policy" in regard to the settlement of the land is a widely recognised fact by, practically, all those who have given intelligent consideration to the question, and who have had practical experience as well. Unquestionably, the ideal form of tenure is that' which is called "freehold tenure." and the Ministry, in their inmost hearts apparently, are aware of this fact, but desiring to pander to land nationalises, and Socialists in the cities, they will not take a straight-forward, straight-out stand upon the land question. Every now and then, however, the Minister for Lands completely "gives away" both himself and his colleagues. It is, of course, not possible tor every man desiring to go upon the land to

acquire a freehold at once, or even to acquire a freehold* heavily mortgaged. There are deserving, desirable, and altogether suitable men who should be assisted to take up land, and there is only one form of tenure under which they can be helped to attain their object, and that form is the leasehold tenure; but, seeing that the freehold tenure is the best tenure indisputably for both the tenant and the State, it is obvious that every leaseholder from the Crown should be given an opportunity to acquire the freehold of his section upon reasonable terms. Take a 9 instances the Crown tenants who hold leases-in-p»?rpetuity; under the Land for Settlements Act, it would, of course, handsomely pay the State to allow the tenants to acquire the freeholds. The Minister foi Lands has more than once described the eternal lease as a rotten lease—the adjective "rotten'" is the Hon. Mr McNab's, not ours from the point of view of the Scate, yet the Government, simply to catch votes in the cities, will not, at the request of the said Crown tenants, amend the Act so as to allow the freehold to be acquired. So much for the Government's belief in the leasehold! But the best evidence of the wobbly Government's appreciation of the freehold tenure is contained in a passage in the Financial Statement delivered last week. Briefly, the proposition is this, that the Government will find the money for intending bona fide settlers (ten or more) who have obtained from a private land owner an offer to sell the estate at a price fixed by him. The settlors for whom the Government find the money are to be allowed to acquire the freehold under certain conditions. The proposal is, of course, extremely objectionable, and arises on the part of the Ministry from a desire to shirk their obvious responsibilitcs, and to avoid the discharge of their manifest duties. The interesting point, however, is that the Government that wa3 leasehold last session is a freehold policy Government this session. It is certainly high time that the people of the Dominion insisted upon straightforward, consistent, and progressive administration. We want very little legislation now, but an enormou3 amount of vigorous, sound, healthy administration to make this Dominion progress as it should.