STICKING TO FACTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15920, 4 May 1912, Page 4

STICKING TO FACTS.

COUNTRY MEMBER ON LAND SETTLEMENT.

A PUBLIC MAN’S DUTY.

A statement attributed to Mr D. Jones, organiser t° the Farmers’ Union, that three-quarters of the land of New Zealand was held back by the Government from settlement, was tho test for a little fiomily on “Facts” by Mr George Forbes, member for Hurunui, at tho opening of tho Loburn Coronation Hall on Thursday evening. Mr Forbes said that the first duty of a public man was to place facts before tho public, in the truest light possible, and not to place them in a false light. That day ho had noticed a letter from Mr Jones on the Government’s land settlement policy, and finding himself in an intelligent farming community, ho could not let the matter pass lightly. Like most of his hearers, he was greatly interested in land settlement. It was all very well for Mr Jones to say that the Government’s policy of settle- ! ment was unbusinesslike and unprogressive; but in his reply to the demand of the “Lyttelton Times” that he should define the proper method of settling land he had made out a very weak case. Mr Jones had said that three-fourths of the land of New Zealand was still in the hands of the Crown, and its settlement would give a great fillip to tho progress of the country. This was an erroneous and misleading statement 1 calculated to 'make readers believe that | three-quarters of the land was actually held back from settlement. The fact was that of the 66 million acres of land in New Zealand 17 million acres, and tho best of tho land at that, were already freehold. Eleven million acres were public reserves, handed over to local bodies as endowments and for other purposes. Did Mr Jones suggest that these lands should be takon from tho public bodies. He believed that the site of the Loburn Hall was a public reserve. (Hear, hear.) Eighteen and a half million acres were Crown leaseholds, and very closely settled, too. He himself came from a district of closely settled Crown leaseholds, namely, Cheviot, and he did not ask for a more prosperous settlement. Seven million acres were Nativo land, but the greater 1 portion of it was inaccessible and poor pumice laud, and in any case it had to support 40,000 Natives. Four million acres consisted of barren and worthless land, such as mountain tops and snowy ranges; and two millions were accounted for by roads, rivers and lakes. There were four million acres available for future disposal and a million and a half acres of that were now open for selection. He did not know where Mr Jones got his figures, but he did plead that public men should give the public tho facts. There was plenty of room for genuine criticism without distorting tho facts. Of the four million acres remaining for settlement two millions were suitable only for pastoral purposes, and of the balance of two million acres onlv 166,200 acres were first-class land, and that coMd not be settled without tho formation of roads and tho construction of bridges and so on. which' meant a large expenditure of public money. It was not even ploughable land, hut was largely hush land, suitable for dairying. Mr Forbes added that he had recently been through Hawke’s Bay, and had been struck by tho vast areas of freehold lying almost idle, and it was there that tiio greatest possibilities for-settle-ment lay. While in the district he had read in a local paper tho following advertisement: Council.—Wanted, Married Couple, without encumbrance, man to act as permanent county roadsman, and his wife as telephone attendant and postmistress at Omakare.” That was one of tho wealthiest counties in Hawke’s Bay. such as had been clamouring for domestic helps,, and urging their importation, and it was monstrous that the wealthy men of such a district should ask for employees “without encumbrances.” He. wanted to know what sort of a country it would bo if tho principle of “no encumbrance ” were to be insisted on. (Applause.) He was proud to think that no South Island publio body would mako such a stipulation. Ho understood that tho member for Waipawa. Mr Georgo Hunter, was a member of that Council, and he wondered how the advertisement squared with that member’s professions regarding tho need for population. Mr Hunter was one of the wealthiest men in Hawke’s Bay and a member of tho Oppositon Party, which was continually clamouring for domestic helps. It wns slow work settling Crown lands, and the more accessible areas of huge freeholds should ho dealt with. If he. had anything to do with tlie land legislation of the dominion he would ask these big landholders to “move up” and mako room for the growing population of New Zealand. He would treat them with absolute justice, hut tho watchword would be “move up.” In conclusion. Mr Forbes said that he had to apologise for digressing on such an occasion, but coming among farmers who were faced with the problem of getting their sons on the land, he had been compelled to give some facts concerning land settlement. (Applause.)