THE PREMIER'S SPEECH AT HAMILTON.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 289, 17 May 1898, Page 2

THE PREMIER'S SPEECH AT HAMILTON.

TO THE EDITOR. Sie, —The Premier boasts that the Cheviot Estate has now some 2000 persons on it, where formerly there were only 70. He also should have told his audience that surrounding this Pongakawa Settlement alone there are 64,000 , acres of Crown Lands kept totally idle by his Government, and for seven years petitions and appeals have been sent most sessions, praying for these •' Idle Crown Lands " to be opened for settlement, which only requires a short road of four miles or so made across one Dlock of " Idle Crown Land " to bring it all within easy distance of a good harbour, Maketu. If this " Idle Crown Land" had been opened for settlement seven years ago there would have been more persons on it long ere this than there are on the Cheviot Estate. The land joins this settlement where maize crops are equal to any on the coast, pastures surface sown eight years ago, clovers and grasses, are holding and improving every year, and for vine growing, Mr Palmer, Government Pomologist, writes he has not seen better land in the colony, single vines have again this eeoson borne 40, 50 and up to 701 b each, yet the Government hold all this land back from settlement, saying they have no money to open Crown Landa. No money to open up Crown Lands, # yet the debates on the " Old Age Pension Bill " have cost the colony more than would haveopened them up aud the Government say they can pension some 10,000 persons, a bain for their votes at the expense of the colony. No ■money to open up Grown Lands, yet the " Land for Settlement Act," has been forced through, saying they have no Crown Lands to settle people on, another bait to secure the votes of landowners who want to get rid of their estates. If the settlement of the land is the aim of the Government " Idle Crown should in all justice have first attention. Although the Government so strongly denounce large landowners, they, the Government, are in this district alone, holding back from settlement more land than all the large landowners have put together. If the finances of the colony are in such a bankrupt state the Government ought to sell these " Idle Crown Lands " by auction, and not stop the progress of a whole district by continuing to keep them idle.—l am, etc., Idle Ceown Lands. Pongakawa, Bay of Plenty.