THE H.B. TRIBUNE. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1911. THE ABSENCE OF SINCERITY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 296, 5 December 1911, Page 4

THE H.B. TRIBUNE. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1911. THE ABSENCE OF SINCERITY.

The present .'l’lmmisti’it'on make I mo : :'( ’’al’lc (”t;>ila! <mt of their alligations of d’ffic’idty in getting land for (dost r soit’i im i:t excepting I y mcTim, (•'' ai’ •’i’’, r. ‘ i.mpt i>m. From those iamiliri v.’,t'i the movements of the land m-trk( t in th:., district during the la>t few years this cry find” little <-red< m-e. The blatm:; !>(■- ’ ’it i’c! th . !'o (i '■ vc>-miiem tb< mselvi;>’;J v.ilit their officers. During tii' p< iio<] in which the Lami for Si tllciiK Ht Ai’l b.:‘> !■'' ■! in force i ’Ur. oi 1 he' I ’’ l c. r i t :H .- h'lve beeii < pi n a" pc e> ’i ■(■ by n::’<o)..’’. ami •o mo b-i'-’ b< - i off. . dirt'i't I.'. 1> ’i’< C ov < r n i.i’iit. ;ili at prices which too;, o’ <ii. o- |”’;"<.||”!i!’’. A ‘ 1 tl> M'llis.’i’: ’ - ■•■ciieleo Io avid films*’li (J t il’’ <>|e *i ma i koi appirr kmiwn t>. en rj one but himself til'd Il’S c.frii’hiE. ami has rt jecl '■d the properties offered, only to :*.■ .ii*:i • . i<! I'iianv (■ascs (■■ mnmls'irily. HmL of I' 1 -'' c'-tatix c value, and in many instances !<•--«- sti't.-iblc fcr the purpose for which ihry were required. To emii’i-T-io' th’s we may quote a frw ca-.es which stiould serve to eeavim’” our rrmlcrs of what we sa>. The R :i’’:.-r.vi < state was offer, d io rhe Govi i’nmc'it at ’• S per aci’’’, but decl’m '. T ; wc- t! ( ;i -old to a trentieiii’in ’vli ■. ’it i very shcat interval of time. 0,.1*1 h -n m ndvan?? >8 o me ' • - per ame. Tim latter niii’dii«'” •”a= a pret ions owner < f ’he Mt. r-trtte. who had been ci’m'.m!*’*,rtiy r’lspcssrssc l oi t’e’it p’’oyr.-;y at. a price which 'vihh.il I’l.-iii'iireii witti t-hat at which tl:r Banka -, a estate could have been origi’i-iliy benight. A httgc area at Wr.akatu of the vm.'- iird Dml ir ifii’ prov in-’c. chisp ■<> H:i-im_ - and capable of carrying a large number - f inu'ii'tr-:oi: = u ttler’-. » t; sumu.a>'!y riicetrd without any suffi- (•:• nt inquiry a- to its capacity or vn.'ui‘. It - slm-e L; cn sold tn -mall areas, and ••(‘.■r-nf dealings have rej’lsed price- thrice that at which ii offered. TEe <).’*. nut station, an uh al property for the puip< s.'s i f the Go\ ('rnment. was offered to them at a price wlticii would hate enabb’d them to estabUsti a large miiiilh r of settlers at rentals am! under conditions wiiicii wmild 1 >\ <bm time have insured com pm i m-” P I’f’. I he I', rest Gai. esirJe v. a- taken eompul-otily while the T:: ’ .!.■■ station, a mm-b more i i ; c’l h propi-rty. was in the mark’ ! at a pri-c which made ii I’ljiij ji;>t:m■! > ’iti- 'i ciuapcr. The gt :ii ;< iiii’ii ’< re d <m! oi I’ore-t Gaie at. irii’i’ • tie . i.an.-e . >f 1 ,in inc

Tautanc. ami have no cause for anything but rejoicing at the action of the Govi rnment. although perhaps re'-c-ntine it at the time. The Tuki Tuki and Grange ( states, than which no more suitable land could be found for farms of moderate area, were both offered to llie Eovcrnini-nt and refused. Roth were sold to buyers who .subdivided and realised profits more than substantial, and since then the subdivided areas have sold at prices always leaving a large profit to the seller. While other good pi <>pei 1 ir-.' were changing hands privately ami were open for purchase at reasonable prices by anyone not. wilfully blind to the opportunities, the Government have been, acquiring such estates as Tango io, which has proved anytlimg but profitable to its unfortunate selectors. and Kaiwaka and Omahaki, both remote from the conveniences of civilisation, and tlie latter in close proximity to Crown lands abandoned by the lessee because the rabbit pest made occupation impossible. There are probably many other instances which might be cited to prove that the Cuvi-ziiuii.'iit Las not proceeded with any degree of sm- (■( rity Io take advantage of suitable properties offering, but has preferred to bid for the applause of the multitude by effecting compulsory resumptions to which they were rrallv not forced. The sole object seems to have been to impress the people that their interests were being served in spite of opposition from landholders, while, as a matter of fact, there were several of that class ready to help the scheme along. Now for anorSer aspect of the Government’s attitude. Sir Joseph Ward lifts his. hands on high 1 in pious gratitude and thanks God that he is not as the Opposition leader is. and that he has .no great lamlholdcrs on his sate. Yet we in Hawke’s Bay know that one of our landed gentry, occupying probably as large an area a-> any, six year.ago was exultant in being the mer.tis of returning our now retiring member. Wc may therefore take if iiia; he makes a profession of sympathy with the policy of close settlement and prevention of aggregation. Let us see how he hacks this up m practice. Hr is intimately interested in the far-famed Waimarama (.state, which, according to ii's own advertisements. has capacities almost bc'.ond expression. In ordinary hands this proper!;,. Lt ing Native land, could have been sold only in areas (>f -100 acres or tinder, and the market for it w< uld have been confined to those not already holding land which, with the area bought, would make up more than 400 acres. Did du- Governim nl pre'inve this desirable property for close settlement Listen! In I’ue last hours of the sc:-sioii of I9o‘:, just before the | election, a Macs’: Land Act was| brought down among protests from the Opposition, and into this professedly public Ad is r.puitcd a section. with Mr. Dillon's strong approval. enabling the V, aimarama ’ lands to be sold by auction in any areas to any person. During the 'o>’ jus l closed, again inimediatcly hr fore an election, another | inc-asum wa- passed authorising pri- | van- sale. As a rei-ult the properly. - some (joiu.i acres in all. sold for sonic-! j thing in the proximity oi’ £’70.000, i and tails into the hands oi some six ! '.even buyers, one of them a large i landholder in the South Island, takI ing over -gl'.’ii acres at a cost of I £2:’>.<*()o. Now t'iiis aFords some explanation of one man's loyalty to party, but what i.; to happen if all ( .ur big landholders elect to turn Liberal! There will then be no one Ito squeeze and no land for close I sittlcmcin.