WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

Evening Star, Issue 14184, 8 October 1909, Page 1

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

MR MASSEY’S LAND POLICY. If the State put the remainder of its areas to auction to-morrow and sold them to tho highest bidders tire problem of finding land for the people would rest as heavily upon the Legislature next week as it does now. The remnant should be administered so as to bring the greatest relief to the deserving section of our population, which, in the absence of a carefully - directed system, would be left without hope of getting foothold on the soil.' Mr Massey talks in a glib way about “ what it would mean to Auckland if a million acres were thrown open to se&lenunt.” Certainly it would be a very fine thing. Turning to the last report of tire Lands Department, we find that during the preceding year the total area open for selection in Auckland district was 885.813 acres. Mr Masseys trouble is that he will not approach a single public question with a view to consideration of actual facts. He relies entirely upon guesswork and prejudice.— Wellington 1 Times.’■

railway expenditure. We are told that “ all the money available for Auckland during the next few years will be required for the station yard." and the amount to be spent upon this, we are told, may be £150,000, spread • over seven or eight years. It may please railway officials to nave convenient yards, but the public need a better train service much more urgently.- It is pennv wise and pound foolish to have an. up-to-date yard and an tut-of-date service; and we would ask if there is not an up-to-date yard in Dunedin, where a double-imed tunnel is generously provided, even though the Otago railway section is • notoriously unprofitable. Tho truth is that wo shall never have able treatment for the greatest and meat progressive railway centre in the Dominion until an equitable share in the control of the great administrative departments' is insisted upon by the North Island.—Auck-land-‘Herald.’ THE CATHOLIC CONGRESS. Wc desire to take this earliest opportunity of expressing the satisfaction and gratification with which New .Zealand Catholics have learned that the fourth Australasian Catholic Congress will be held m Wellington. The educational effect will lx; proportionately even greater in a small community like ours than in the large centres ou the other side, where immense gatherings of all kinds are more frequent; and the gain which the Church iu New Zealand may hope to reap from such a magnificent assemblage of prelates, priests, as that which has just concluded its sessions at Sydney can hardly be over-estimated. Although the journey is somewhat long, wc are sure that numbers of Australian Catholics will bo glad of the opportunity of seeing the real original ‘Gods own country,” and the holding capacity of our metropolitan city will undoubtcdly be heavily strained. New Zealanders, whatever their other faults umbo, are never backward in , the matter of hospitality, and our prospective visitors may rely with tho most absolute assurance on receiving a very cordial and enthusiastic welcome.—‘ New Zealand Tablet.’

land Values taxation. 1 o tax the landholder’s increment is to take hie money for the general expenditure of the State, which is composed of other holders of increments. In other words, the holders Of other increments ■ are not only left untaxed, but are presented with portion of the property of the class tliat can be most easily got at. So far as fairness is concerned, it is as unfair to tax only the owner of one sort of property ,on th« increment of his property as it would be to levy the Income Tax only on bookmakers or only on ironfoundere.—The ‘Dominion.’ BOYS AND THE LAND. A man whom some people might teim a crank recently wrote a book called ‘Three Acres and Liberty.’ It matters not what material that publication .contained, the title was, a sermon in itself. Think what Diat means—so many acres, so tew, and freedom. For every boy who will learn and appreciate tbe methods and benefits of modern agriculture there is a “decent living," perhaps more. Take nine boys out of every dozen, teach them the rudiments of agriculture, and they will make fair fanners. There is no question of want of ability, want of aptitude, want of application, The life k free, and, living close to Nature, the boy unconsciously becomes a better man physically and morally than he whose lot is cast in the artificiality of the towns. —‘ Mataura Ensign.’ NATIVE LANDS. It is now, we are glad to say, abundantly clear that the Government are really intending to make a forward move in the Native Land policy during the coming session. When Mr Maasey tafias of the “optional tenure ” he, of course, means, the Freehold, and the Freehold in this case Would mean, unless we misunderstand him, utter insecurity for the natives and ’ their ultimate dispossession. It is to be hoped that the Government, who have hobbled and truckled so lamentably on the general policy of the Freehold, will not carry this weakness to the pitch of betraying the Maoris to the uncontrolled mercies of tho land snarl*. In his lecture at TSnutru Mr Ngata protested strongly against those who. ou the plea of equality between the two races, would like to see the weaker stripped of its land and livelihood. Let the Govern; |.;nt facilitate native land settlement by all means, but without relaxing a single one of the safeguards recommended by their Commission,—Wellington ‘ Post. IMPERIAL DEFENCE. New Zealand’s duty lies in the direction of developing her own territory on prudent lines. If England calls upon us for aid, by all means give it; bat it is a mistake to embarrass the foreign policy of the Motherland by undue interference. We may assume, that the British Cabinet understands the position as regards Germany much better than we do, and is less Is able than we are to commit blunders.— 1 Wairarapa Times.’ CABLE SERVICES. That Sir Joseph Ward acknowledges himself more in love than ever with that State ownership of all ocean cables is good augury of the chances Which that true principle has of success. He stands by no means alone in thk idea, and the fact "that ta returns with it stronger in his head than ever proves that the number of its adherents k growing at a rapid rate.—Southland 1 News.’