Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 1911. LAND SETTLEMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10191, 17 March 1911, Page 4

Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 1911. LAND SETTLEMENT.

The provisions' of the Land Settlement Finance Act, 1909, do not appear to be widely known in New Zealand. If they are, they certainly are not availed of to any extent. The Act in question is designed! to enable associations of six or more persons to acquire land from private owners under the guarantee of the State. On the face of it, such a. measure would appear to offer inducements for settlement of a very valuable character. Possibly, however, the idea of having the State, as a mortgagee does not commend itself to either the owner or the selector. A more wholesome system in New Zealand at the present time would be a voluntary throwing open of land by private owners. "This could, be done to.the advantage of the owner's, the State, and the individual selectors. Take theWairarapa district as an illustration. Here we have numerous large areas of fertile country, producing only a tithe of

their capacity, and maintaining hundreds of people where there should be thousands. If the owner of an area of, say, 10,000 acres were to cut up half his. property into small farms, and lease it for u term with a right of purchase at present values, he would be benefiting both himself and the country. The ivhole problem of land settlement would be solved. An army of enterprising and ambitious settlers would be created, which would act as a brake upon city socialism, and remove the necessity for the imposition of graduated taxes and other forms of coercion. It is surprising to find that a course such as this was not adopted years ago. It is not now too late to make a beginning. The private tenant, having the right of purchase held out to him as an inducement to thrift, under no obligation to the State, removed from all the harassing conditions of State tenancy, would develop the resources of the country in such a manner as to make NeAv Zealand a proud spot in the possessions of the Empire. The settlers have the solution of the land and labour'problems in their own hands. They can establish the pri nary industries so effectually*'that imposition of the farnir er would be invulnerable. Who will take the lead in the matter? Who will throw open 'his estate for selection by associations of thrifty men? Surely there a f settlers in this district who oa-i realise the immense benefits «v!i."h would accrue from such a system. Have we not the Old Couu:ry as an example? Does not eyery irail bring us news, of one or other of the larger owners voluntarily surrendering a slice.', of his estate to the. demands for settlement? We have no deer parks and hunting estates in . New Zealand', which must bo preserved for use by. an .aristocracy. All our land should be put to the best' possible agricul« tural and pastoral ttse. Why will not settlers voluntarily assist in this matter? Why do they stand in their own light and impede .the progress of the country? One volunteer is worth ten pressed men. Then let some Wairarapa settler volunteer/ The movement has only tp.be. given a starts and it ;will spread like, .the fire on a prairie plain. . ~* . \\ - .' ' ~