LAND BOARDS AND RED TAPE

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15921, 6 May 1912, Page 5

LAND BOARDS AND RED TAPE

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—The man who succeeds by his own thrift deserves all credit, but in justice to many seeking Crown leaseholds undue preference to those applicants with fat balances at their Isanks should be abolished. Many are now Crown tenants whose means would have allowed them to go into the open market and buy farms right out, thus swelling tho ranks of the Reformers. Much discontent has been evoked during the last five years at the success of men at the balloting for Crown sections, men worth from seven to twelve thousand pounds. No fair-minded man will blamo the lucky rich ones, but unless the system is altered so as tb bar all applicants for Crown leaseholds whose bank account exceeds £3OOO many of the landless workers will desert tho Liberal Party and either go hand and glove with the Masseyites or, what is more sensible, wait till Labour is strong enough to rule the roost. It is these so-called favours to the well-to-do applicants that gives the redoubtable Mr D.Jones his chance' to gird at the leasehold tenure. Let the Act be amended, and the Reformers' howls will be ended,—l am, etc., ONLY A SQUIB.