SPEECH BY THE MINISTER FOR LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 69, 14 December 1907, Page 7

SPEECH BY THE MINISTER FOR LANDS.

• GOVERNMENT POLICY DEFENDED. (BY TELKGRAPn—PKKSS ASSOCIATION.) Ctautau, December 12. The Hon. R. M'Nab, Minister for Lands -and Acting-Minister for Dofonco, was.enter-, tained at. a .banquet r hcre to-night. In the course of,his speech in responding to the toast, of his .health, the. Minister-said it was entirely -a mistake to suppose thcro was no schemo in our system of 'defence. Tho recommendations after careful and maturo deliberations of the ablest men .in the Empire, were followed in their entirety. Every port of, stragctio importance and every possible system of land attack woro submitted to careful study, illuminated by knowledge gained . from ■ wide experience of other parts of the-world. Instructions forwarded. by the Defonco Council of tho Empire wero ciosely studied. The defences of tho Dominion were being put in a very, forward condition, and of their volunteer.system all wore proud. ■. Speaking . of- the Land Bill, Mr. M'Nah, said tho Government's legislation would put more freehold land on the market during •the next ten years than that of any other freehold Government had done in twenty years. Largo estates woro being put on the market partly because of the high price ruling for land, but also because of the growing knowledge in the minds of tho large landowners that the people of tho country had sternly set thoir 'faces against tho aggregation of "largo areas of land by one man. • For tho first time tins aggregation was being combatted by a graduated land tax,' which could, not be evaded as similar taxes had been. The Minister supplied the following information regarding the area shortly'to ho thrown open for settlement:—Tho'estates available are— ' (1) Rcwi, Auckland■ district; 1714 acres; to bo opened for selection-; on January 28; area set apart , for preference to married applicants with families,' 505 acres. (2) Pourerere settlement, in -Hawko,'s Bay 2210 acres; will lie opened for selection on January 22, and the.area sot apart lor preference to married applicants with families is 726 acres. (3) Raumata settlement, in Hawkc's Bay district; 3506 acres; will bo oponed for selection on January 28, and area set apart for preference for married applicants with families is 1133 acres.'. (4) Otokaiko settlement, Otago district; 29,025 acres; will bo oponed for selection on February 3, and 0750 acres, will be sot apart for proferonce for married applicants with families.In each settlement portion of the area had also boon set apart for preference to applicants, who were unsuccessful in .previous ballots. Ordinary Crown', lands to bo opened for selection within tho noxt six months were:— District. Acres. Auckland ... 39,000 Hawko's Bay ... ... 15,000 'i'arauaki ... ... ... 36,000 ' Marlborough 24,000 Total, 114,000 Regarding lands for settlement estates, Auckland would contribute 20,000 - acres, Hawke's Bay IGjOOO acres, and Otago 3097 acres, making a. total of 39,697 acres, .exclusive of estates previously, mentioned. : ••!.