LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1240, 23 September 1911, Page 14

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

' THE SALE OF CROWN LANDS. Sir,—l have paid very little attention to this matter sinco about 1890. Tho method 'then was to "gazette" all lands in such a. technical manner that nobody knew what the notice meant, and keep back 'tho maps till tho last moment, so that genuine purchasers did not liavo . time to make inquiries. I know then lots of 'men "in the know." They used to get verbal hints of good sections, and then quietly smell them out with local assistance from surveyors. Tho.v paid no attention to tho coloured notices displayed at tho post office. Thero were groat scandals about this at Pahiatua. Men wore continually getting good sections unopposed, and I repeatedly 'exposed tho douse in the local paper. . About six months ago I wrote to tho Crown Lands Office, asking whether this particular practice was "blown upon" yet; and got an answer that "sale plans would be forwarded me.." On August 3 I got a whole sheaf—fifteen in all. Tho lands advertised were for sale from August Bto 16. To make even tho most cursory'examination in the time allotted was, of courso, impossible. So I find that tho old game is still in full blast! Not being' of the right colour, of course, I don't get any tips.., Any man who votes, the right way may, perhaps, bo able to get . earlier -information. - ■ > « Take one at random. Salo plan. No. 611, Town of Horonito. West. There aro 38 actions to'bo leased, and tho sarao number to bo sold for cash. I receive tho .plans on the evening of August 3, andthe sale comes/off at Ohakuno on August 8., Lhave'four'clear days! And. this salo plan'is oily ope of fifteen!, - All . these sale plans 'ii.ro"dated "June '8, and the fTamers of . tbe Act, of.coiu-se, meant that they'-wore .to bo distributed at that date. That was. meant to insure that everyone should have a'fair show'to go (ind scp the land, ; and judge whether-lie could suit himself. (The way the' Act is defeated is simple. It.provides that.all sections for -salo'-must be '"gazetted" three months before sale. This, is ' done, but the mere list-'of 'sections 7 is no use without a map, and also no one but offi-' oials ever sees 'the Government Gazette. The sale plans, without which no one can find the land, aro carefuly withheld from tho. publio .until it is too late to make inquiries. In tho old days -I had- some funny experiences. Once I wTote for salo plans of a "reserve',' up tho Tuki Tuki River, and got them—al>6ut ten days before the Bale. I wrote back saying that no peg 3 were in, and that the land could not be identified, and consequently there would bo no bidder ..except the owner of the adjacent- property, who, of course, did not care where the psgs were. -I asked that the salo might bo deferred until the land was pegged out. I published this letter in the Hawke's .Bay "Herald." No notice' was taken, and the adjacent runholder' got tho < section—exactly as I dicted.--You know Oscar Wilde's gibe about tho three P's? The tyrant of tho soul is the Priest, tho tyrant of the body is the Princo, tho tyrant of soul aud body is the People. Suoh practices would never bo tolerated in a pure autocracy. But .the nominee of Demos may do exactly as lie likes, and his despotism is not tempered eren by bombs—l am, etc., BRUTUS.