THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, MAY 2, 1910. THE LAND SETTLEMENT FINANCE ACT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10033, 2 May 1910, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, MAY 2, 1910. THE LAND SETTLEMENT FINANCE ACT.

in a leeent issue a correspondent utged that Commissioners should be appointed in connection with the Land Settlement Finance Act, the duty of such officials to be the formation cf associations and so forth. The suggestion is certainly on the right lines. What exactly shou!d be done is, of course, a matter for careful consideration, but very little reflection is necessary for it to be clearly seen, that something should be done. The object of the Act was to promote land settlement in a way, which it was thought, would be acceptable to the people as a whole. Although some time has now elapsed since the Act became law there has not been, so far as we are aware, a single association formed in accordance with the provisions. Hence it is clear that either the sjstem of settlement, which it provides is not palatable to ] the farming community, or that ' ignorance concerning the Act is blocking the object of its promoters. The Premiar was rather inclined t claim a good deal of kudos for the Act, and there is no doubt that he

thought the passing of it was going to result very beneficially. Sir Joseph Ward, however, mu ; t realise to-day that his rosy anticipations have not been justified by subsequent events. What then is the matter? Is it that the Act does rot appeal to those in search of land—and they are many, fur there is no abatement of the earth-hunger in this Dominion —or is it that further machinery clauses are necessary. We are of opinion that the Act is a praiseworthy measure, but that the Government should take some steps to popularise it.