DEAR LAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 79, 1 April 1908, Page 8

DEAR LAND.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Referring to the paragraph in Thursday's issue, hosts of people coming to New Zealand find out the same thing, that land is too dear, and that the hooks published in London arc not only obsolete, but full of falsehoods. I know of over 50 who came by the same boat as we (10) did, that have gone further afield, principally to Canada and Australia. Often one reads in the papers about people wanted for N.Z. I maintain that there are plenty already here •wanting land, and cannot get any, simply because the Government of the country prefer to play a game of their own. and lock up the land for goodness knows why. It would pay them to give every bona fide settlers willing to work, say ISO acres of land, providing he put in certain improvements, and farmed in a proper way. It would pay the country hand over hand in a few years. This would settle once and for all the question of assisting people here who leave within 12 months, put a lot of genuine hard workers on the land instead of walking the streets out of work, increase the exports hundreds per cent, help to lighten the burden of the ratepayers, and if it didn't do anything else, it would help to employ a few more Government clerks and put out a lot who simply get fat over the land business. I expect the latter is one of tlie private reasons why land is allowed to hang fire years in and years out.—l am, etc.,

.W. D___DB_>_E.

Devonport.