THE LAND ACT AND SETTLEMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 213, 8 September 1891, Page 5

THE LAND ACT AND SETTLEMENT.

This following is an extract from a letter addressed by Mr VV. A. Murray to the I'remier and tlio Minister oi'Lands :—"I think that tho thirds from ckhli sales should also aid access works, and better still that the pneo of land bo higher, and half instead of tluidd in all classes bo so devoted. The present system of otturiiit* Crown lunus 1 consider moat improper. It tho land is surveyed people must (jumble, for it, if unsurveyed they must jujhl for it, thus offering premiums lor rascality or brutality. ■Suppose, as a remedy, that for surveyed land each applicant doposits Is per acre. For instance, on 10s per acre land, suppose applicants and all bhuii* kindred, cousins, siacera and aunts, put in to, say, tt:e number of 40, they would themselves thus fix the price of the land at sOa per acre. The successful (iummyist could have ie at that) or forfeit his or her lv por acre deposit, when tho next dummyist in the lottery couki have it at 49s or forfeit his or her deposit, and so on tilt the lavl i:i actrv/i-U, when all tho other deposits would be returned to the other depositors, but the acceptor of the laud woulu have to pay as if suen refund is added to the original prieo of 10.1 per acre. "With un.iiu-voyodlund Ithinkthatapplications should bo restricted to o<lo awes, and be suoject to such conditions as to survey, roads,water, bush, etc., as will prevent injury to subsequent selectors. I think also that tho price should bo Jixed at the full value of the besl land in the block to be ouereu for selection, and retuaiu at that price for, say, one month, when tho price could bereduced( )percent., atwhich pried it would be fixed tor, bay, three months, when it could be aa;ain reduced, and so on, till tho price reached a minimum of ( ) per acre, at which ib would remain till all the lanu remaining , is selected. " I reeret to see thatyonpropo?eoneman ono vote in local elections. This is unsound in principle and unjust. It empowers tho smallest ratepayer to squander the largest ratepayer's money, induces unthrifb, and will destroy confidence. It will give disastrous preponderance to village votes, and render the settlement of outlying districts moro and more unpopular and still more hopelessly unsuccessful. I sincerely hope that you will not persist in a proposal sounjustana so injurious. I admit that it is vexatious to see managers of £;reat estates, owned by absentees or companies, swamping local votes ; bub this may be remedied by allowing jixa volts to l/ie owner if he resides hi lite, riding, bat, only out: vole if he docs not reside in the ridiiltj. "