THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1911. LAND SETTLEMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10508, 21 December 1911, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1911. LAND SETTLEMENT.

At a meeting of the Hastings Chamber of Commerce, held this week, t'lie following resolution was proposed:—•• ■

"That this Chamber issue a (Circular to dll large Land owners, pointing out the yiast benefit to the commiuiity and to themselves whidh would result, by tlie voluntary subdivision at a failr priue oil easy tennis by the means the Government offered."

- The motive whidh prompted thle moving of thisi resolution was doubtless a very worthy one. In Hawke'e Bay there are large tracts l of oountry held by a comparatively few persons. For yeans there has-been an unsatisfied eaft-rli hunger, and a section of the community hais moved a tax-loving Governjnleait to impose graduated and other taxes, with a view to bursting up these liairge esl- - The effect, however, has not Ijoan to compel owners to sub-divide to any malterdaiL extent. The fact is that the Government itself Ims, b\ various processes, ctreaited an abnor mal value ini land, and placed' it al iriost beyond the reaelt of men witl.

small ctipital- It has allowed lion® of acres of Crown, and Native lends, to remain. idile, with the result that other lands have increased im value. It h«s also, for the purposes of revenue, encouraged its valuers to plnt-e excessive taxation values upon hind. Bund it thrown, open all the avaii'abie uiieuffitdvated land, and kept its own. valiies within reason., there would nx>t have been fire diar-amd foa 1 Band that at. exists, and consequently prices' would have remained at normal. Ihe first duty of the Ma'sscy Government, should it be given, a working majority, wall be to open, up every available ftbt of idle territory, and bring it iaito ettltiviatdon. Sinvultaueousily, it wild require to put Into operation the resumption, oliatises- of •the Lands for Settlement Acts, so that n.,en with small capital may be provided for. It is idle to suggest that even at present prices many of the large estates eoaiM not be profitably occupied, it is. the -duty of tSie Government "o seek them oait, and to acquire them on. the most ad»vautageoxtis term*. The imposition of a graduated laud tax is. not tine proper method of bursting up esti+es, and the experience of the last y« k v or two has shown that it is not ah effective method. There are raaay' settfer* w3*o 'subdivide, when they recognise tl.-'it prices have . readied. their- limit and .may possibly fall. There are ethers j who avMI- do ;S0: for family reasons. I But the land must, ihrthe (wdiniairy picounse. <bf. events, 1 be'.niade' «»>'v'airryj a larger pbpuHiatiori than it i-j»h at the present time.