LAND BALLOTS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10311, 11 August 1911, Page 4

LAND BALLOTS.

Tli© system under which ballots for land are; conducted in New Zealand are shockingly defective. The Hon. Mr Anstey, a Government nominee to tli© 'Legislative Council, had something to say about it in. the cour.se of his .speech on* theAddreas-in-Reply. He applied himself almost entirely to the Mackenzie runs in Canterbury, which it will be j remembered were recently offered { for .selection. Of the 28 sections '{ put on the market last year, Mr Anistey showed that 14 were disposed of by ballot, and 14 at auction. . Of the fourteen disposed of by ballot V five were .secured by single girls,! four iby married women', and five bymenu, and of the lot only one could be described as a bona, fide settler. Of the. 14 disposed of by auction ohlyv three would'be (separately occupied, the others were aggregation® pure and simple. Mr Anstey has bean a rsettler in the Timaru district for yeare, and he declared that he knew every one of the individuals of whom he was speaking. He also quoted the case of the Glentunnel run, which was acquired by a. mam who already owned a freehold. Permission was secured for him specially from the Minister to bid for two other minis at the .safe to* which • he (referred, and he. got, them. Another -case wag that of a man who resided on his run- with his wife and his family. The run was put up for ' auction, amd the man, whose lease had just run. out, should, have got it for about £3oj per annum, instead of which he was run up to £6OO and had to retire.