THE LAND BILL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10134, 3 November 1910, Page 4

THE LAND BILL.

The Evening Post is anxious about the Land Bill. It does not think that it can pass in its present form, and suggests that the compulsory leasing clause should be eliminated I from the measure. It is somewhat ( of an anomaly to find a newspaper I which persistently advocates the na--1 tionalization of land and__the parcelling of it out by way of lease, I objecting to the application of the ' lease in another form. But that, as ] Kipling would say, "is another ' story." What the country is anxious" about is the settlement of the land upon equitable terms'. The ' State has already upon its hands an abundance, of land which requires developing. The first consideration should be the placing of the available Crown and Native lands upon the market. How can this he most expeditiously done? That is the question. The Government should not bother itseit about the sentimen-

tal trifles which are being magnified by city Socialists. It should adopt a' progressive and liberal system of settlement, and then say to the people, "Here is the land, go upon it and work it to the best advantage." The question of finding the money with which to purchase further estates for 'settlement would settle itself if the Crown would only give tenants the right of acquiring their estates on equitable terms.