LAND SETTLEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 700, 28 December 1909, Page 2

LAND SETTLEMENT.

[ Sir,—Being an old colonial Ivew Zcalander,' and brought up on tho land all I", my, life, aud seeing the .divided opinions - that ; are; on the subject, I ; feel it ■is not [-• .out of place for me to give you what I i- uehcvo to bo tho best policy for the settlei, -lnent of tho land'/for tho prosperity: of ■ the counli-y niid all its people. Upon ■ the uso that tho niah on the land makes ! - of it depends Tery much tlio prosperity of > the country. In. fact. New Zealand's pros- _ p'enty.i depends entirely on the land! , Somfe hold the opinion that'the Govorn- ' raent should own air the land and let it- ' on lease,' so as to provide 'a' source of - revenue to tho country iii-- tho shape of >; relit.for all time, tind also for tho Crown to get all. ■ tho benefitof the increased values caused by the expenditure of pub- : Ho moneys. ; Oil the face, • this: looks a sensible lind'reasonable'viow to take, niid . one that is>;largely lifeld-by tho townspeople and others who have never been, or likely', to go,, on.,'to the land,', and; therefore, are limited in tho practical knowledge,.:of the subject. Wo must, therefore, treat it as a theory, and for what it is worth. If a country wants to go to tho money : market for n loan, to carry lon necossarj; public' works. for .making railways, roads,' and bridges to open up and givo access to land, arid:benefit the country gener-' hUy, 'providing' labour and so forth, .what floes tho monoy-lendcr look to as ■ the'security lie; is ' to get? IDoes he':look nt the rent the Crowh is getting yearly from tenants on the lahcl? 'If, you ask the Prime Minister' of Ns\v Zealand, I feel sure ho will tell you that tlioy. would look at the valuo ,'of our exports,' especially to the value of . exports from , wool, meat, grain, butter, and cheeso. In other Words, to that : which is produced from the land. So that the matt on' tho land ,holds ■ a: vci;y important position, looking at it from every point of .view. Tho townspeople and all those' who would compel him to accont n land tenure, he i, would never take except under' compulsion, ate trying to make a stick for their own backs. "To tho leaseholders I would suggest they'take a month's holi' i day and linvo a good look at tho North Island from end to end. . Let them note the millions of acres that a few years ilf[o werd : standing' forest, and sea tho mighty change's that have taken place, all done by the man on the land* arid if theso changes had not been made, tho country would not havo been to-day what it is.. It is only tho man on the iaiul . :. 4V-...^ no )V. s r : : privations,'

courage, find endurance that wero necosBary' to. its accomplishment. To learn uikytliing iit .its necessary to begin at tlio beginning, 60 that to got a correct idea' how '.these changes have '.been .'brought: you must away, into the' back- . Mocks,, through forests by bridle-track, amongst stumps add logs, to the-whores, to bo able to got any idea of the vnst amount of work' that's been done before : ™~n ,oro advanced hush farms arrived at.tho stago whore you will sea thousands ' P'.Bhcep .and cattle, good 'homesteads, butter ™d chjosc factories in all dirtc- ■' tions. Moult thesis groat works, havo oopn dono ulidcr a system of tenantry f i am sure thoy would not, and ivoulj never be , douo-ns well if they' were at- 1 tempted, and . hnve caused a far greater cosfc to : the country. /' SoJJio, years ago I . was a memto of a oounty council.' The: whole area of this county /was or oil bush a few ' • prsvpMvwu'sly. IJndcr the-'lbims to Local Bodies Aet, tho council'was Iim»" '• ltcd iiv In© amount: it could borrow cach s'^./°, r , 'he purpose jof -making. roads ami bridges. Application from., settlors that covered tho whole amount came 1 into tho_counoil' always a year ,in advance. Does this need, any argument to . show 1 : how 1 earnest those people wero to • help. themselves, Dr. how much they, needed: What, they, wero asking for P The-.' - wor,KS that wero dono by these loan ijionlos -were, public roads and bridges. In epmff .<a»s -settlors had, and still .havo, as many us five. rates to. pay on . loans ' taken' up to mako roads to 'their pro- > P, e Fy, e ?> amounting hi some : cases to a . shilling in the pound on tho;total valu» . of their, properties, .1 would like to ask, - 1 how t does this fit'in with the theory of sharing in-the'unearned-increment? Af- - tor. making. tho f roads - and bridges i for 'heir , use, and tho lise of tho' general i public, 1 - and improving, tho value of their 1 I land, the public to have its share. How much Now Zealand, owes to. thoso meai and women who havo tackled the forest* : ' i' and hewn out homes would bo hard to i say. Yet some havo tho opinion that' i. those aro the 1 shouldere that should bear i the. lion's share of the taxation of. th> -' , country. . . ; .... ...../. - 1 don't wish to convoy the idea thaft) iI am opposed;to a system of leasing.'Asi ' ■ a means:to an end, it is a very/twees-''. ■ sary; part of machinery for. the! settle. : ment .of land, so as to place 'within-the - . reach of all tli.o moans of-going.' on'to ' i the land, if lio so wishes. To prevent tho; ' aggregation ■of largo estates gave v birth •' •• to, the leasc-iri-perpottiity, .or wlidt is ■ known as • the 999 years? leased In a, : British country such, as ours,/'that is ; peopled by. men and women who 6et suoh" i store, > arid pride themselves upon -having. siich ; freedom 'of thought - and -.- aoi' tions, this' f is one of: the most contempt* , i ; iblo land measures that, could be con- ■ ■ cetved by the mind of man. It is hedged •• ' - about with all 6orts, of restrictions, tho i r ' ! tenant is hampered and\ watched in his- • eporations as though. lie t was a,criminal > and needed tho eye of a Government . ■ officer constantly upon,, him. . Let mq- .. • give one instance to show what I moan. 1 : i A single;man who held a section linden ! this-Act was. in the.Habit of' getting a day's work where he could from ■ liij,., ■ neighbours close around, for the purposq . ! of keeping things going. In . dne oourso, ! s the inspector or ranger came along,-om.. 1 found.no tenant at the wharo.' t To find » out.whether.;he was complying with th» 1. residential clause, he placcd a dish in ° Siifeh 'a positicr. that lie .would, know, if it-had been'slji'.ted or riot,,'whon he came ' tho next day.Vffhe'tenant, on'arriving at ; ». his whare, noticed the >dish having been I 5 placed in a different, position to wnat'h^.,:'- ■ had left it in the morning, and 6uspoctod:,'.< l 1 the cause, with tho result. that' he jjlaoed. 1 the dish again, next morning,' an£ both! . '■ played the' samo game, until-; tho;ranger »' satisfied himself,, on the matter. And'this ; ® sort' of thing: in"tho glorious freo i Niw v : . ■ Zealand! Yet this is.tho Act that soma) ? fished to Bottle -the land of the country:' , on. ■, ■ ■ '' " " v Surely' it. is in the,best,interest of:aliithat, tho man on land should havo hm 3 tenure under those conditions ho is th» . ■ I most,.'satisfied witlu that , will call, into-, t operation all his'bost : energies into his! r- life and-work. It is: natural to have _a : t ;ono's'homo, and'icountry.'. It is natural to desiro to have a home no caa B . call .vour.iown, : and. to give 'tho ' beet ro« " suits iv© Bust Imvo the-condltioM satl&i . ■ faotoryto do 60; We want'the'best that \ ian be got outiof the, land.- To got ithia • tho settler;ni«st not bo deprived of s that which he holds very dear and - vwhich! ,• ' builds him hopo and,faitn .often... through years, of, toil and hardship. -.Hw . tory in' Now*' Zealand bears abundant..evi* , : aerico of thiss faet.: -The-, present„ trend :.. . of thought, howoTOr,' points rather; in i V the'V opposite direction, to this, tttd It s I J: possible that ive may have New Z<-alani ;' land worked under a system/of .Crowns • i tenantry. When such happens, if it cvop I does; we shall soon lose • mght of t-hosoi t characteristics 1 , of 6tnrdmess and. P lianco that have always made tho Briton, i a successful coloniser.—l am, etc., .. J. GRIFPITtt, [ Otaki. December -27/-1909..-- ■ » ■>