CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3944, 21 October 1891, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

THe Liberal Gorernmont

[to the editor.]

Sir, —Now that the first session of the Liberal Government hue beep, brought to a close, it is interesting to take a retrospective glance at eorue of the chief measures which they have tried to force on the country. The foremost place in the calendar of reforms, or so-called reforms, undoubtedly belongs to the Land Bill. This Bill ba9 suffered the fate of the innocents at the hands of the Legislative Council, and if any argument was needed in favour of the continuance oi the Upper Chamber, thd b1 a tighter ol that Bill would amply furnish such argument. The interim between the first and second session will give the public time to ponder deeply on the impracticable methods by which the present party in power have sought tc settle the country. Their futile attempt to substitute leasehold for freehold, to prevent the settlers from acquiring an ownership in the land on whi:h he has toiled, and to deprive him of the hope of being able to bequeath it to his children, which is the laudible ambition of every father of a family, and which, indeed, forms the theme of his most anxious thoughts. Though it appears from the recen! utterances of the Minister for Lands, at Falmerston South, that be disclaims having had any intention to abolish the freehold tenure, he must find it difficult to convince even his warmest supporters that the very head and front of his land reform did not aim at the very principles which he so calmly disavows. It would be difficult tc conceive anything more disastrous tc the settlement of the country than the most iniquitous proposal to try and induce young men to spend the best parts of their lives to cope with the giant difficulties of bringing bush land under cultivation, knowing that after a term of years the Government of the country will step in and take advantage of the enhanced value which the fortunes of a young and growing country may have given to the land on which they have bestowed such ardous labour, and which they should by all the rules 01 right be able to look forward to as th( reward of their industry. Is it anj wonder that under these circutnstancei the exodus of the best of our population has increased since the accessor of the present Government to office • Even that precious bantling so deai to the heart of the Premier—th< Special Settlement Scheme—is oper to the gravest objections. It seemi strangely inconsistent that a Govern ment pledged to the destruction ol monopolies, should themselves initiate a monopoly of a far worse charactei than any that existed at the time ol their taking office. That the Special Settlement Scheme is a monopoly, there can be no two opinions, and thai it is an offensive and vexatious monopoly is apparent to any one acquainted with its working. Take for example the Mount Baker block in this district, -which has recently been handed over to an Association. During the last six months this land has been visited by people from different parts of the Island in search of suitable homesteads. These people have been at considerable pains, and no small expense to ascertain the quality of the land, and the locality in which it was situated, etc. All information as to when it would be placed in the market was eagerly sought and obtained, and under the belief that it would be balloted for in the usual way they were content to wait and take their chance, when loand behoH, at almost the last moment an associa. tion is formed in Canterbury without any reference to the quality or fitness of the members for bush country and presto the land is snapped up, while those who were waiting look help lessly on and see their prospects of obtaining any of it melt into thin air like the baseless fabric of a vision. It cannot be that public opinion will allow the best interests of the Colony to be played fast and loose in tlis manner, and there are not wanting signs that the domination of the present party in power will be but of short duration. I am, &0., _ Bush Settler.