LAND TENURE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12648, 8 November 1905, Page 8

LAND TENURE.

A PLEA FOR THE FREEHOLD

(To the Editor " N.Z. Times.")

Sir, —The thanks of all those who d«fiiro to see the Liberal Barty remain in power'are due to you far your instructive leader on the land question in last Thursday's " Times." If the party comes to grief over this matter, it will ho oaused by those who knew next to nothing of what constitutes true settlement of the land. As for the question of what would make up the revenue if the lands were sold, take the average hush land of this island, of late years it has -been set down at a value of £1 per acre. This produces us a 4 per cent. I know hundreds of the pre&ent lessees who would give 30s to £2 to make it their own. Invest the land at this pi-ico in 4 per cent, debentures, New Zealand or other, and you have ■twice the present rental; and as these lands are let for 999 yo&i's, there can he no increase of rent;"but by selling you can double the amount now received. The bugbear of aggregation has not liapti sfconmid under ifche oresent Land

Act; what is wanted is to araake it illegal for one settler to buy out another. If sold at all, it ehould be to one who could make a declaration that he did not own or occupy ir» tfhLs colony 640 acres of first class land. When one considers that, in the bush districts the State's interest in the land remains (as it must do for 999 years) at £1 per acre, and the tenant's interest mounts up by improvements to £7 ov £8, the position of landlord and tenant as is known in the Old Wodd is completely reversed. And yet here the tenant, with seven or eight times the amount at stake, can do nothing without the Land Board's oonsent, which as continually being refused. We, the country Liberals, want to see every man farming his own land; and, if possible, ©very workman in and near tiho cities living on his own freehold; the real object being to secure as many freeholders as possible; and to say that we are in favour of land monopoly is grossly incorrect. I read your article with the ga-eater pleasure since, as will be seen by " Hansard," page 323, vol. 123, 1903, I spoke then on the same lines. Hie article should help to educate our revaluationisits and fair renters. The greatest good to New Zealand will 'be got by encouraging the workers on the soil to improve and produce double what they are now doing, not by threatening them with rack-renting.—l am, etc., A. E. REMINGTON. Hunterville, April 11, 1904.