STATE LAND MONOPOLY.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14073, 19 June 1911, Page 5

STATE LAND MONOPOLY.

TO THE EDITOR OP "THE TRESS."

Sir,—ln speaking at, Woolston recently. Mr Laurcnson said that 133 white men owned 13,000,000I acres, whilst 40,000 Maoris owned acres. Surely his constitutents will say that this is land monopoly and will be curious to know how such a state of affairs can exist; and they- will add that good Mr Laurenson should remedy it, It is right that he should do so, for being a member of Parliament, ho is a trustee for the Crown Lands of the Dominion, and is tho representative owner of that land for tho time being. Now it is possible that he is neglecting his trust to tho people's own land—l mean the land that belongs to the State. When he says that 133 white men own, not occupy, 13,000,000 acres, ho is misleading people into believing that it is privately owned land. The bulk of this large area is composed of Crown land, for which Mr Laurenson is tho trustee, and nominal owner. The extent of Mr Laurenson's large estate can bo realised in some degreo by the following figures: — Total area of New Zealand: Rural land held as freehold on 31st March, 1905, in areas of fivo acres and over, 18,091,563 acres. This area was owned by 45,0(58 farmers, an average of ■ 410.\ acres each. There are approximately 150,000 owners of freehold land in' New Zealand. Crown land, leased to tenants 18,722,779 acres, occupied by 26,498! farmers, an average of 706J'acres each —taking the largest estates in each, case, eleven million odd acres of Crown lands aro held by 690 leaseholders; eleven million- odd acres of freehold land are hold by 2,899 freeholders. In both cases there-are large areas of mountainous and poor land. But in tho case of the leaseholder there is no incentive to improve the productiveness of tho land, because the tenant has, when the time for revaluation comes, to hand over to the State the capital valuo of the increased producing power of his land. Therefore it is to his interest to live an easy life, and not to strive to make that land produce its utmost. Consequently land moriopolv is thriving and growing on ; tho State's land to a greater extent than on the land of tho freehold farmer. Lnnd monopoly, nn I understand it, is tho owning of land by a State or individual who does not make that land produce tho amount of food and clothing that it is capable of producing. And I unhesitatingly say that tho enormous tract of land called Crown land, which is administered by Mr Laurenson and his fellow-members of the Government, is the largest land monopoly in New ; Zealand. There are millions of acres of splendidly rich land in this large esi tate which are at present producing • nothing—why? For the simple reason that good men like Mr Laurenson ! should turn their attention to legislation which they understand, as tho building up of trades and industries. If they leave land legislation to those ; who understand the land, there will be : a greater prospect of every acre being made to produce to the greatest of its ability the farm products which we exchange for the money of tho great manufacturing countries. At present tho unrest of land and labour legislation, and the miskadinc statements (such as that 133 white men own 13.000.000 acres), is prejudicing and . hindering the only industry on which . the prosperity of the Dominion depends. 1 Tho exports this year have barely shown an increase over those of last ' year. j The well-being of a peoplo is liko a ; tree; agriculture is its root, mannfac- ! tures and commerce are its branches ; and ite life. If the root is injured tha j leaves fall, the branches break, away, and the tree dies. —Yours, etc.. C. H. ENSOR.