The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 1890.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2776, 29 April 1890, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 1890.

" Whoever can make two ears of corn or two blades of grass to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, will dtserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to Ins country, than the whole race of politicians put together." When this was written the full signiticence ami extent of its meaning was probably not recognised. At the present lime, if taken in connection with the settlement of the waste and unoccupied lands in Now Zealand, it should occupy a most important place in the minds of our politicians. There can be no question that an increase in our population, to assist in making two blades of grass to grow where one only grows at present, is the great necessity of the hour. Settlement of our waste lands and the influx of population, consequent thereon, would rapidly remove from the colony the already lifting cloud of depression. We have too few shoulders to bear the burden of taxation, rendered necessary by our past borrowing, and in order to divert the stream of emigration towards this colony some exceptional inducements must be held out to intending emigrants to counteract the attractions ofiered by other countries. Numerous suggestions have been made from time to time, but none of them appear to have taken any great hold upon the mind of the public. Some simple and efficient plan is wanting, that on the face of it, will give a direct guarantee to effect the purpose aimed at. In our opinion this colony has at its disposal the very means of stimulating emigration, and that too of the most desirable class and by which the waste lands would be quickly and satisfactory occupied. Our railways can be made this great factor. The settlement of our waste land is certainly one of, if not, the most important question occupying public attention at the present time, and although the Act appointing our Railway Commissioners laid particular stress upon this point, these officials,posing as railway exports, think more of working our railways to provide a three per cent upon outlay and

thereby bleeding the country to death than of giving facilities for the settlement of the country, and awaiting the satisfactory financial results, that would assuredly follow the adoption of an opposite line of action. What we want, then, is a distinct change in the railway policy of the country, and if this be determined

upon, it must 1)9 made one of the foremost questions at the next election. The question is, How can our railway policy be so altered as to advaueo the settlement of our waste lands and help our settlers generally to verify the axiom we started with ? It would be a legitimate demand for them to make, that the rates of freights on produce for long distances should be so reduced as—for the sake of argument, we will say—would result in a direct loss to the Eailway Department upon the actual cost of carriage, or, to put it in official language, that the rates levied would be insufficient to provide " grease for the wheels." For an illustration, let us take the case of wheat, and supposing that the Department lost sixpence per bushel in handling it, and that the wheat sold for three shillings per bushel for export, and but for the fact that this loss was submitted to, the wheat would not have been grown, would not the wealth of the nation bo increased by this difference? Oar great industry at present, and in the future, must be that of agriculture, and as the New Zealand farmer is situated at the greatest distance from his market —the market that rules the price he is to get —some exceptional measures niuafc be applied to give him relief. It may be called a bonus, or protection, or by any other name, At any rate, it is manifest that the solution of the problem of how eau our waste lauds be settled? and in what manner can our greatest industry be developed 1 hinges upon this one question of transit. Annihila-

tion of distance is to New Zealand the one great factor that will bring about settlement more rapidly and effectively than any scheme of easy land acquisition. In our opinion the maximum charge for the carriage of agricultural produce should end at the ten miles rate from the port, because at that distance farmers might as well in most cases carry their stuff to the port direct. At present, probably such a radical change would be difficult to bring about. Lot us take a 50 mile radius for a start, so as to reduce the flood of expert objections that would be raised, and see how it will work. What better advertisement could we have to direct intending emigrants to New Zealand, and where would there be u greater inducement to settle, considering the climatic and other advantages we possess. Such a change in our railway policy would entail little, if any actual loss to the department, for we know that at the present time at certain limits, production ceases, for the simple reason that the present rail charges eat up the whole crop. In potatoes for instance, it would pay a man better to rent land near Auckland at £5 per acre per annum, than to attempt to grow them say at Te Awamutu on land that might be given him rent free. Exactly the same thing would apply to other produce, according to distance from the port, and from this point what possible good can there be in extending our railways under the present system. Under existing circumstances the long distance settlements contribute little or nothing in freights to the railway revenue. No loss, therefore, could accrue to the department. But if the charge for the 50 mile radius would stimulate production, would not the revenue gain by this much 1 We shall be met most likely by the official contention that it would add considerably to the working expenses. but the reply to that is, that at present the trains from the long distances are running practically empty, and until the demand for carriage exceeds the accommodation at present provided, this objection has little in it, and when this stage is reached we shall find the increased quantity to handle does make it pay, to s-iy nothing of the increased upward freights the department would enjoy as the result therefrom. To summarise we contend that our railways can be made the great factor for the settlement of our waste lands, by a distinct change of policy, in fixing a maximum rate of freight on all produce at a short distance from our ports. Such a policy we feel sure would encourage emigration of the most desirable class of settlers from England and from the sister colonies. Such an influx would soon relieve the present burden of taxation, and any temporary reduction in the profits on our railways would be but a small matter in comparison, and would be more than returned in a very short time by the increase in our Customs revenue.