WHAT OUR CONTEMPORARY THE MORNING HERALD SAYS ON THE LAND QUESTION.

Dunstan Times, Issue 899, 11 July 1879, Page 3

WHAT OUR CONTEMPORARY THE MORNING HERALD SAYS ON THE LAND QUESTION.

Among the many charges of “ modelling and muddling” which may he laid at the door of the Urey Ministry, not the least important in its bearing on the welfare of the country at largo, and particularly the agricultural settlers, is that of bringing the Laud Laws of New Zealand into a thorough mess. We are accustomed to very large words and very great professions about the land question from the party at present iu power ; and, indeed, if words and promises were sufficient to settle that question, it would have been “ laid ” long ago. Unfortunately, however, judged by their acts, the most Conservative or even Ultra-Tory Government wc have ever seen are Radicals compared to the Grey Government in this very matter. The much abused Rcid-At-kinson Government, during the session of 1877, introduced the present Land Act, which, whatever may have been its faults, at least did much to consolidate and unify the heterogeneous mass of Provincial Land Laws under which the public estate was previously disposed of. The Grey Ministry having really no Land policy of their own, very coolly adopted tin measure framed with so much care, we believe chiefly under Mr Donald Reid’s supervision, by their predecessors ; and had they left matters there no harm would have resulted. Meddle, however, they must—we suppose to show that they had some ideas on the subject—the result of their meddling being the precious muddle of a statute yclept “ The Crown Lands Sales Act,. 1877.” By this Act the price of all land not disposed of by auction was doubled, and, contrary to the intention of the House, the price of deferred payment land was abo doubled, simply by the blundering of the draughtsman who drew up tlie Bill. The effect of the ambiguous terms used was pointed out by Mr Reid, but the House was assured, by the special muddler who was responsible for the Bill, that it was all “ right,” and that deferred payment land was not affected. When the question, however, came to be decided by the Law Courts, tho interpretation, which the House was assured by the Attorney-General was not the correct one, and which yet it was warned by Mr Reid would be adopted by the administrators, was upheld, aud consequently the price of deferred payment laud has, since the passing of the Act referred to, been fixed at 1.3 per acre, whilst the l egislature, beyond all doubt or question, intended that it should be 30s only. As only the best of the land still owned by the Crown has hitherto been set aside for alienation on the deferred payment system—and as we have been since the change of price passing through a period when laud of every description was abnormally high in price, and the spirit of land purchase and laud speculation had seized the whole community—tho utter unworkableness of this price has been demonstrated. Now, however, when people have really come to their senses, and are only prepared to give for land a price at which it will pay to farm it, it is becoming every day mure and more clear that unless settlement is to be put a stop to altogether, the price of the deferred payment land at least must bo reduced to the amount at which it

was fixed by “ The Land Act, 1877,” and that “ The Crown Lands Sales Act, 1877,” must be repealed. There are several other changes in the Laud Law's which it is exceedingly desirable should be made ; but the matter of the deferred payment land is imperative. Wo will return to these on another occasion.