A PLAIN DUTY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 93, 17 October 1906, Page 6

A PLAIN DUTY.

Tho very sensible question of which Mr. Fisher has given notice with reference to tho land issue will, wo trust, bo answered by the Minister of Lands rather in the spirit of his first official utterances on the question than in that which inspired lib assent to the withdrawal of hia Land Bill. Mr. Fiah«r desires to know whether the Gdvernment will, ponding the settlement of the land question by Parliament, desist from selling any further Crown lands until the proposals contained in the Land Bill in reference to national endowments have been finally dealt with by the people's representatives, and we _«o not »«o now. tho GoYcrnmeat con, re-

turn a negative answer without stultifying itself. It has declared in clause 3 of the Land Bill— we much prefer the original and authentic version—that "all Crown lands remaining unsold or unsdected on the coming into operation of this Act (but not including settlement land or land reserved or 6et aside as endowments or reserves) are hereby set apart as a national endowment for the purposes hereinafter mentioned" — to wit, education, hospitals and charitable aid, and old-age pensions. If land purchased from the natives is to be excluded as proposed by the amendment of the Lands Committee, which the Government unfortunately seems willing to accept, then, according to Mr. M'Nab's own estimate^ there would be less than two million acres to come under tha operation of clause 3 during the next^ten yeara if it were passed tomorrow. % But as the clause cannot become law till next year, even this small remnant will be irretrievably reduced if the system of cash or deferred sales is continued in the meantime. Close on three-quarters of a million acres of Crown land have been disposed of on the optional system during the past three years ; and at that rate a quarter of a million acres will have gone before Parliament can deal with, the matter nest session. It is surely the duty of the Government to preserve the status quo ac far as possible till the Land Bill comes on again. To modify the terms of the eternal lease is, of course, beyond their power, but they can, without difficulty, stop the further sale of Crown lands during the coming ys&r, and we trust that they will take the necessary steps. We hope to see the stable-door securely locked by the Legislature next session, but the. Executive has sufficient power to prevent the stealing of any horses meanwhile.