The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. THURSDAY, DEC. 6, 1888.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2560, 6 December 1888, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

THURSDAY, DEC. 6, 1888.

Equal and exact nistice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.

Mk Henuy George, of land nationalisation fame, is on a visit to Great Britain, where he has been given an enthusiastic reception. It is also said in the telegraphic notice of his movements, that he has expressed astonishment at the progress the new doctrine of land reformation has made in England. Many others besides Mr George might well be surprised at the same thiug. The disastrous effects of the agricultural depression in the United Kingdom for so many successive seasons, and the enormous number of farms which have been thrown baek on the hands of the landlords as absolutely unroniunerative, have turned the current of thought very strongly in the direction of of a revision of tenure and in favour of small holdings. Landlords who have suffered serious loss of income by the reduction of rents and the impossibility of finding tenants for their lands, have shown a disposition to make partitions of portions of their estates into agricultural allotments, suitable for occupation by the labouring classes. The Imperial Legislature lias afforded facilities for a successful movement of the kind by passing the Allotment Act, the benefits of which were immediately taken advantage of to an extraordinary extent as soon as the law came into force. Numbers of property-owners have estab lished settlements of the kind" some experimentally, others on a scale of a permanent character all of which have been attended with admirable results. How much of tliis kind, of work has been pi-oceeiling in the Mother Country is not known hero ; but it is evident that a great stride has been made in the settlement of the people on the land there when we find Mr Henry George given way to pleasurable surprise at the evidences of its development. In looking over a recent number of the North British Agriculturist we find an account of another important experiment made to bring back the people to the land. This has been performed by an English rector on two hundred acres of glebe, and the success that has attended his efforts has been widoly commented on by the Press. The reverend gentleman thought that the best way to advance the interests of the agricultural labourers was to give them fairsized allotments which th.-y could cultivate in their own leisure, and not only add to the yearly income of the family, but also keep them from idleness and degrading pleasures. Most of the glebe laud was an I unprofitable wilderness. As soon as the rector intimated his intention of letting it at a moderate rental in allotments, it was entirely taken up by eager applicants. The land was given free for the first year, Prizes are given annually to the holders of the best kept allotments. These allotments are situated in the vicinity of a populous centre with ready markets for produce. This land

which two or three years ago was a perfect waste, is now smiling with crops find cultivations, and it has also been clearly proved that the profits from the soil do not »;o to landlord or middlemen hut straight t.o tlin labourers' pockets, each of whom, liy utilising his spare time, had hoeii alile. to make from £I' 2 to £15 extra in the year. Th<?re is no iloulit that the system of agricultural allotments is a practicable sue<;c!.s. The essentials are that the land should he at a fairrental onliheral terms on a long tenure, and that each family bts provided with a cottage. The North British Agriculturist concludes its review of this experiment by hoping that the Rev. Mr Tuckwell's efforts may continue " till the laud he studded with cottages and the labourers made certain of their allotments in perpetuity. Those politicians and others who are so anxious about the welfare of the rural labourer may be invitod to support such a genuine way of improving the condition of the rural classes." Should an agrarian movement like the above become widespread, there will he a return of the population which has hitherto been migrating to the cities, and it will be the means, the most capable tnnans, together with State-emigra-tion, that can be used to relieve the nation of the social distress and inequalities that unfortunately exist. The principle is identical with that contained in our own Village Settlement scheme, which attracted the surplus population of our large towns into the country, and proved not only a blessing socially, but also an economic success. Practical lessons are afforded us by these examples ; for it is the, aim of our public men in the colony as well as in England, to encourage the people to take up land, to go out and settle the immense tracts of waste lands no\r lying idle and to conquer the wilderness. The great desideratum of the colony, of the North. Island particularly, is population; and with increased population, a permanent settlement of the land, in order that our wealth-production can be materially augmented. "Whilst in the Mother Country half-an-acre aud two acres are offered and greedily snapped up by settlers, we can afford to offer allotments of greater extent, in fact as much as a man feels lie can profitably work with his own labour. The present Minister of Lands is credited with, possessing an earnest desire to promote the interests of settlement, and is vigourously utilising the machinery of the existing land regulations to familiarise the people, with the facilities for taking up Crown lands, on the conditions of deferred payments and perpetual leases. There is no doubt a decided inclination shown in most parts of the colony to take up land for bona fide occupation, eschewing all approaches to speculation. This is a disposition the Government should take advantage of in every way in order to extend the scope of settlement ; and the opportunity should be availed of to stimulate the immigration of agricultural classes from Great. Britain, to enter upon the occupation ®f the lands of the colony on the principle of the scheme of allotments and village settlements. Between the Matiukau and Waikato, and over the counties of Raglan, Waipa, Waikato, and Piako, there is room for thousands of families of small holders, the class of people we need as actual producers. If the Minister of Lands can devote, his energies, even with only partial success, to filling up the wastes in those localities, he will not have held office in vain.