The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1887. VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2619, 9 June 1887, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1887. VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS.

1 Mr Balume has had a bad time for the past few days in the House over ■ his administration of Tillage Settlements. This in a measure is to be regretted, because if there is one bright spot in the present Govern- • ment it is the earnest industry displayed by the Minister for Lands in promoting settlement. His enthusiasm is this cause has made him popular in the country, and respected in the House; but unfortunately ho has in the discharge of his duties as a Minister of the Crown been guilty of faults'which 'cannot be altogether condoned. He has incurred at large unauthorised and illegal expenditure, and the only defence that his colleagues appear to be capable of making on his behalf is that previous Ministers have been guilty of a similar fault. It is simply disgraceful; that Ministers of the Grown should get up I one. after another in the House to I defend illegal acts. If the leading responsible men of the Colony do not respect law and authority, what guarantee have we for the maintenance, of public molality. Another'serious charge against Mr Ballanco was his employment of a certain well-known politician to establish village settlements, and at the same time work up an Opposition to a certain northern member, whom Ministers desire to see defeated at the coming gcnoral election. Opinions, of course, widely differ as to the ohances of tho ultimate success of Mr Ballanco's village settlements. The House doubtless would willingly vote tho £60,000 required for them,' even in tho present impoverished condition of New Zealand'if there'.;. was a reasonable prospect of the Villagers making headway ifor themselves after they have obtained a good start out of tho public purse.' Most men "consider that: • to onsure the success of' a villiage settlement several conditions are essential—lst, The title should be freehold to give the settler heart to; cope with the difficulties he has to encounter. 2nd, That the land should be good in quality, 3rd, That suitable persons Bhould be seleoted for such settlements 1 and 4th that tho settlements shouldbe ! in the vicinity of some neighborhood where a demand for labor existed. : If ,j all these conditions were observed we wight .reasonably hope to see a j

village settlor hold liia own and we Wfluld not grudge him the hundred pounds or so of capital which the state lias to find him, though it is evidently a limit to the extent to which the colony can go in the way of spoonfeeding village settlers, but when wa see these conditions violated, when we find that the ultimate reward of village settlers is a lease, that they are located on bad as well as on good land, that all sorts of people, including maiden ladies, are taken in' the village settlement net, we cannot help.coming to the" conclusion that < Mr Balance's scheme must prove- a' disappoifitmont and that large sums of public money are:- being- wasted which might be profitably employed in placing.settlers on land under conditions winch''would make the outlay a profit instead- of a loss to the colony.