The Land Question.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9299, 29 July 1901, Page 5

The Land Question.

TO THE KDITOK. Sir, —I have followed the discussion on land settlement in your columns pretty closely, and.consider Mr Watt's opinion a fair and only proper course to pursue, and greatly in contrast to Mr Jenner's wholesale schemes. It stands to reason that whilst there are enormous areas of waste land laying idle to take that which is producing is false economy, and is not tor the-betterment of the ■ colony in general, whatever may be said to the contrary. Now,- what is the best method to, pursue in this land settlement ? I advocate settling the waste land, and to my mind it could be done at much less cost to the colony than by the present operations, and every year it would be increasing the natural wealth. My idea is to select suitable settlers (or intending settlers), place them on this Crown land, give them, and the ti only, the public works, such as roading, etc., in their, midst to do, part of their time to be devoted to such works, and the other part improving their land. By the time these public works are completed their sections, I maintain, would be self-support-ing, and thus what was a large area of waste land would be turned into productive properties. I am sure a more reasonable method could not be adopted, and it is worthy oE consideration. An argument uatd in favor of this compulsory acquisition of lands is our towns are not expanding, and we must settle settlers near them to save them from decay. This, I consider, a onesided argument altogether. If, as stated, by bursting up these est'atea the Government are trying to put down monopoly, they are only creating another in the town—it's like robbing Peter to pay Paul. No, I say, settle the waste landH and create new towns, then, I thiuk, monopoly will be little spoken of. Mr Jenner states that large landed proprietors' are a eurt-e in the Old Country and elsewhere. I differ with Mr Jeuner. In the Old Country it is the small owners who are the curse, and not the large ones: the large owners concede a great deal to their tenantry in times of depression, whereas the smaller ones protest they cannot afford to make concessions, and they are responsible for a lot of farms lying'idle. I think anyone who has had any experience in farming at Home will bear me out in this matter. Mr Jenner's remark about the " cursed sheep " is nonsense puro and simple ■; the theep is an-animal he knows precious , little about. Let Mr Jenner study the pay-sheets of the various freezing companies in New Zealand froma labor point of view and I think he will alter his tune about cursed.sheep and sheep runs. I understand this close, settlement Act is meant to provide areas sufficient to support the families who go on them. How many of them in this district, I would like to know, are independent of outside work ? For the general welfare of this colony and its people, 1 advocate settling the waste lands first.-t-Lam, etc, T. 3. GOUDARD. Hastings, July 27th, 1901: