THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1887.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 146, 23 June 1887, Page 4

THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1887.

Sir George Grey's address to ihe electors of Auckland East to xaoti ow will open the political campaign. It is understood that the great Kad ical leader has some definite schema to submit to the country which I he believes will revive its prosperity. and, whether this be so or noU the speech will doubtless be one t io set men thinking. Some years ago i Sir George Grey propounded a schern -.c for settling the land on an extensive scale with English tenant far tners, who are suffering under the j extreme pressure of low prices and high rents. Possibly the settle itaent proposals which are to be explain ed to the electors to-morrow night will ••have some reference to that scheme.

Among all the remedies for " 'I .ard times," there is none so simplie, so natural, and so unfailing in a com itry having a large area of unset tied territory, as location on the ]j md. Therein lie the firstsources of all tre-i Ith. Any family once fairly settled is se< aire of a living, and is helping ~ others ' to live. Every scheme which advaa; ices the good cause is deserving of support, and among these projects Capi .am Daveney's scheme for locating a li .rge body of pensioners upon. the land under settlement condiHj ons ought to command the attention!, of die Government. We learn that sio.me settlers, attracted by the announcements with regard to this scheme, have come here on their or, m motion, and have taken up land on the Village Settlement block. '.Recent letters from them speak very hopefully of their prospects.

Pensioners are ey.centionally well adapted in their circumstances for making homes up on the ■, land. The first struggle is th ie WO rst, and capital in some form mr. s t be found until the land* can V_ made productive. A man who has a pension is able to maintain- himself upon his holding at a very kmall cost until his cultivations conve to the aid of his monetary receipts /Srom the Imperial Treasury. It is, no-doubt, necessary that any projectf or.alienating the lands of the Crown shaljl be sanctioned only upon conditions that will ensure.settlement. All military settle-tnent schemes in the past have not by any4means been successes. Many of/the claims of old soldiers which are still an unliquidated obligation,, are a legacy of abortive attermpts to settle the country in this way. Nevertheless, under proper regulations such settlements t.ave been conspicuous by their success in New Zealand and at Cape

Colony; and at the* present mpment, when every device that promises to help the colony out oi the_ unhealthy channel of a \fictitious loan-created briskness into^one of solid, steady, progress, ought."l-to receive wr attention, this one .of encouraging pensioners to go upou the lands claims more consideration tiian it has hitherto received from the Go^f*"-**-ment. ... »