THE LAND HUNGER.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13101, 28 April 1908, Page 10

THE LAND HUNGER.

(FB.ESS ASSOCIATION* TELEGRAM.)

AUCKLAND, April 27

Mr Garland, Auckland provincial secretary of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, says that the .announcement that many New Zeala-nd farmers are arranging to take up land in Queensland happily does not apply to Auck-l-jjid province. •'There is no doubt, however," he continued, "that the high land valuations in this cou-ratry, and the slowness of the Governiment in throwing open lands for settlement., coupled'with the •extraordinary tenure under the present law, are the chief factors in inducing the farmers in the south to seek land elsewhere. By ; extraordinary' tenure I mean the 33 years'- lease, which no man wants as ■a farmer. It will be found that the renewable lease, either under the 33 years' or 66 years' system, will bo as dead as Csesar before this decade is out. The insecurity of tenure will always lead men from a country where it exists to one where the tenure is secure. No man v.iho had visited Australia could fail to recognise the immensity of the country, and its groat productiveness at ell times other than in drought seasons. The drought, however, was the drawback. If it is wise, the New Zealand Governmenib will make a strong bid to keep farmers nere." . When asked to give his views on the subject, the Attorney-General, Dr. Findiay, said: "I think, with the assistance the Government affords, New Zealand is infiiritelv better for the small settler than Queensland. I don't think there •is likely to Ire a large exodus—l should say no exodus at all —of New Z<?alanders to Queensland. One swa.How dc?s not make a summer. »»nen the legislation of last session has como fairly into play, there will bl? an increasing amount cf land available for r-loser settlement, especially in the North Is'a.nd. with the opening up of the native lands areas."