THE BRANCEPETH PURCHASE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 17 July 1913, Page 4

THE BRANCEPETH PURCHASE.

In the course of his speech in the debate on the Address-in-Reply, the Prime Minister stated.that he had received a telegram from a. gentleman in Masterton, offering to purchase the property recently acquired fr.im Mr Beetham at Brancepeth at an advance of 25 per cent, on the rmount paid for it. We have no doubt that the offer was bona fide; but wc are convinced that the person who made the offer was aware of the fact tha' the Government had not the'power to re-sell the property As a whole to one already possessed of estate. The fact that such a silly offer ishould have been made, however, does not justify the purchase. As we pointed Out in a recent article dealing with the subject 'the Government may have got good value for its money. That does not prove that the land is suited for closer settlement, that the money has been properly expended, or that the spirit and intention of the Land for Settlement Act. has been observed. The impression in thi s district is that the Government has made a. 'huge blunder. We are prepared, however, to reserve our own criticisms until we see how the land is settled, and how it is brought under cultivation.