COMPULSORY PURCHASE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 686, 10 December 1909, Page 7

COMPULSORY PURCHASE

PRUSSIA AND THE POLES. (By Telegraph.—Press Association -Copyright.) Berlin, December 8. Prussm is enforcing the Expropriation Act (providing for compulsory purchase of land) against the Poles, ia order to increase the number of German settlors in the eastern provinces. Tho Act places at tho disposal of tho' Colonisation Commission. [Compulsory expropriation was adopted by Prussia ttwards the Poles after she had failed to replaca Polish settlers with German, by tho oidinary plan of buying estates coming into tho market, and planting Germans on them. With all ihe advantages which the Government, through its settlement commission, offered to its German pioteges, Polish bottlers hold their own; besides, tho Poles out-bid tho commission for land that camo into tho market. It is now hoped to displace tho Poles by compulsory appropriation ot their land. But the effect of this step goes further. Keen competition between the Polish buyers and the settlement commission has, it is said, inflated tho >aluo of land. Tho Government, tired of paying sach prices, thinks to correct this onhaiicci Pient by compulsory purchase.]