The Northern Advocate TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 1911. LANDS FOR SETTLEMENT.

Northern Advocate, 11 April 1911, Page 4

The Northern Advocate TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 1911. LANDS FOR SETTLEMENT.

THE figures quoted by Mr Buddo at Kaiapoi, showing how rapidly New Zealand is parting with her Crown lands, have naturally attracted much attention. The only possible result of the supply of Crown lands becoming exhausted must be very 'much closer subdivision in future than has yet bee;, attempted, and the ultimate disappearance of the big landholder. Evea Oppositionists must see this, but it suits their purpose to endeavor to obscure this phase of the matter by clamoring for utilisation of "locked-up" areas of native lands. The "New Zealand Herald" speaks of the "mysterious tricks and devices" by which these "vast areas," even the extent of which it says is "mysterious," are withheld from settlement "until heavy rents can be extorted from land-hungry tenants," and generally expatiates with a fine show of indignation on the evil effects of the "taihoa" policy. It seems, however, that the "Herald" is permitting its enthusiasm to play pranks with its judgment. What are the facts? In the last twelve months there were brought, into occupation and settlement 277,000 acres of native land, and the "vast areas" still unoccupied amount to only 2,400,000 acres. As it is reasonable to expect the rate at which these lands will be settled to considerably increase, it is clear that they must be regarded, with the rest of the national estate, as a diminishing quantity, and certain to be exhausted within a few years. Is it "locking up" land to distribute more than one-ninth of the total area in twelve months? And what of the natives themselves, the original and natural owners of these lands? The "Herald's" view is this:—

Mr James Carroll. . . . has just told the public that there are only about three million acres or so left to the Maori people, and that this is very little among so many. But the Maori draws old age pension, and participates in every other advantage of civilised life: what right, then, have Maori leaders to aim at the creation of a landlord caste, buttressed by legislation, endowed with unwarranted privileges, and based upon the exclusion from waste lands of small independent settlers?

There we have it. To take the European's surplus land for subdivision, though he be paid a heavy price for it, is spoliation and confiscation. For the Maori, the conquered race—why, seize his land by all means and let him have the old age pension! In referring to Mr Buddo's observation that "if the present rate of settlement of these lands is maintained it will be only a few years before they will all be occupied," the "Herald" does the act-ing-Minister of Lands the injustice to distort this into a suggestion that rapid settlement is an evil, and goes on to labor the point that if the whole of New Zealand were settled the constant improvement of the land and the growth of rural population would automatically induce subdivision. "To imagine that there will be no land for future settlement if we make the

best use of our locked-up areas," says our contemporary with the air of one who has discovered a new principle in economics, "is to be ignorant indeed ot the possibilities of agriculture." Now, nobody in his sober senses supposes that there will ever be ' ; no land for future settlement." There will always be sixty-six million acres of land in New Zealand, and it will have to be made available for settlement, and subdivided and resubdivided according-to requirements. As the time is certainly in sight when the available area, under present conditions, will be exhausted, it is opportune to think about the future. When the responsible Minister directs attention to the seriousness of this.position, he is charged with "regarding rapid settlement ks an evil," and it is coolly suggested, in Older tc save the European hold--.* of mi)ay acres, that we should give the Maori the old age pension in exchange nr his estate. The moral of this is that it gives some indication of strug-

gles to come,