LET US GIVE LARGE BLOCKS OF LAND AS A PRESENT TO RICH INDIVIDUALS OR COMPANIES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2876, 18 December 1890, Page 4

LET US GIVE LARGE BLOCKS OF LAND AS A PRESENT TO RICH INDIVIDUALS OR COMPANIES.

TO THE EUITOIt. Sir, —It is only a question nf timu and that time nut in the fur distant future, whon the Government or country will own all the land now held by the natives. The country will get possession of this land nut bv harsh or exterminating laws. It is not that wo will not save tho natives: It is the natives themselves who will not tie saved from extinction by iw. I will show you how it is no. I was in n field where natives were lifting potatoes. It was late in the season and the ground was cild and wet. A Maori mother was sitting on the wet ground nursing her baby. L explained to her that she should not sit on tho wet ground, and that that was hmv the Maori died. Well sho scorned tho idea • . not sitting on wet ground, and in reply told me pakeha die ton. it is a pity to see such a fino people ii.i the Maoris becoming extinct, but it is destiny and what is destined we must snbmit to. As these native lands fall into the hands of the Government the question is, what are wo to do with these lands? it will bo aaid, settle tho pooplo upon them, by doing so wo will shift our debt upon si> many the mnro, and by doing so make our taxes individually sn 'much the les*. ljy looking deeper into tho question it will be .-.ecu that tho reverse would happen. How could a. business man continues to pay -CM iu the £ if hn were to carry on his business by giving a profit to his custom-irs instead nt f;cl ting a profit from them, .1 guess he would swu g'> t" P nt > and sn it will be with us if we, the country, givo miii-B to our people than ivn lake from them. There can bo no (l.mbt about it that if we settle these binds upon the lines laid (liwii by progressive politicians that for many years to cmne each nf tbs«e new settlers would Rot far mure than be gives. At the present time wu nro staggering under a load, a loud which is almost too heavy to bear, and this from the cause that we have already gone ton far in this direction.. Add another straw to the weight and it would break our back. Suppose we nettle these lands with small settlors, what have- we got to do? We linvo to subsidiso these same sottlers in every way. We have to builil schools, tiiako roads, run mails, and I am not suying too much when I siy the outlay would be £1 fur every shilling contributed by these settlers. If the country were all occupied upon which we have already built schools and made roads there might be .sniiie excuse for cuing to Kxncnsu in opening up the now country, tint that portion we are now neenpyinft is not a tenth part occupied. Whnn what we already occupy is fully occupied wo might bo ablo to go on in the direction of spending money nn the new country. Till that time arrives it would be madness to do so. The Government is in treaty with the natives nf tho King Country as to tho buying of certain blocks nf laud. When the country gets these Wricks , , the most profit this land could be turned to would be to givo it to rich companies or individuals from ICnghmd asa free gift, on condition nf making .xi tain improvements. 'In uvury way would this bu profitable. It. would bo the rncins nr utilising what would I'uinain wash), and would tin a prolit in so far that if , , woidd Ira iiiurea.M. , .*,' thu natural products (if t.lio country, such as .sanding more wool Hume, wliich would bring bae'r money. It would also bo profitable iu tliiway, that foreign money would be spent in waxes, and hy so doing it would enable us to pay our tuxes arising from our debt. Twunty-nuo companies spending umriey would bo as (cood as a loan, without the uviln ; that is. tho evil of having to pay tinloan. It would be all profit, without the drawback. Now, what are the evils? The Rvild arc supposed evils, anJ are only in imagination, and from a " dog in the muiigur " (eeling, and this feeling creates the cry that these companies nr individuals would be making money by the increment which would arise in the course of tiir.e by the increased value of the land, [ii all commercial speculations, the .speculator takes the risk of losm. By taking this risk, it entitles him to take tho profit, if profit there be. I hnld, us a commercial speculation, there is nothing excessively preponderating in the chances that thise companies or individuals nro sure of a profit. When you take the cost tbese companies or individuals aro put to in improvements, I hold it is no more than :i fair chance as to whether they will make a profit. If they do so, it will bo good for them, ivs Imynnd douVjfc it would, if for thf m, be also ffoud for tlio country.— V'mirs truly, HaU.U'KI'E. Hurapepp, llitfi December, ISiJO.