North Otago Times . PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1908. LAND TENURE.

North Otago Times, 5 December 1908, Page 2

North Otago Times . PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1908. LAND TENURE.

flic Lytteltoii Times, which for lirnl adopted tJio platform ol tlic revolutionary socialists ou tho land qucsucii, or, lmd climbed tho ladder of that cult to within n rung or two of tho iop, Ims slid down several steps, and will before long Ih\ iueluded i(i the, category of " our Conservative niends." On tho laud question our contemporary says: ?If the laud of ilia Dominion were divided into reasonable-sized' holdings and reaggregation were made impossible by i.n equilablo system of taxation wo should not care very much whether the tenure were leasehold or freehold. Tho great point is to obtain tho most profitable occupation of the soil, and' M this is achieved the tenure is of secondary importance." We quoto the above to show the change that is willing over public sentiment pn tho question of land tenure, At one time iho disciples of llcnry George were in the ascendant, and leasehold was the i'i'j\ Now there is a strong disposition to accept tho frecliglt), fgr the reasons :hat this and other newspapers have frequently urged on tho public mind, '1 he system of Crown tenancy in New Zealand is remarkably stupid' for a young nation that, has to depend for its progress ou Hie money it can borlOW from till! "old folks at Home." The Crown buy the estates of the largo landowner, and immediately mortgage them up to their full value tp the outside money-lender. Tluj mortgagee practically becomes the possessor of these properties, and the rent,, in tho shape of interest, is paid to him by '.ho Government. All this is done in the name of the - leasehold tenure, but at the same fjpie it is drawing all ilie proli's of the laud to the foreign monty-lender!' If it.' is coli sideicd right fo mortgage the Crown cf.tate to nioney-lende'rs residing outside the colony,' why not afford the occupiers the same rigtyt of proprietorship, for it is ■ virtually a proprietorship that is handed ovpr"to tho London mopey-lender. Conditions could lie ipiposjd that wfluld ju'pvonf- reaggregation, and tiho interest op the purcha'st mopcy,. instead of going put of the colony, would remain' in it, to tniidi it and provide work for the peopie here. New Zealand is surely silling itself to the moneylender, who already holds, an interest in tho Dominion of abonfj £120,000,000. The burdeii siJs on our shoulders in times of prosperity, buf, »p Ijave had an evidence p.f 'how it nffiess yo ,|n timers of deprMop by tlfp tightness of! •the money markoti at tllß jircsefit moment, due almost wholly tp p(|F propensity to mortgage everything wo have to Loudon, The freehold tenure therefore means morn to tho people oi New (Zealand than tho distiple of Henry Georgo imagines, Wo have to consider whether tho question of the Irish ftb|Qi)tec landlord is not applicable to New ynd whether this country will not aiGcr'' jft {lie same way as Ireland has done. ' '". j

. A NEW PROPOSAL. Tlio Wellington Trades and Labor Council hp mado a proposition that is startlingly" in- its applica tipn to ilie questiofl^'oT'.i^Wgrfttion. It does not require 'a person a Solomonic hoadi on him to size up tho mess t}u) Government is making of its immigration policy, Tho immigrants . that are arriving- ip tho Psmi])jpp aw of oil sorts and sizes', but' Jargply ■ of the sort p.jid size that mil not fit; ifi with anything but q, charitable; institution. A cry comps from Auckland thai a numW of- the fle>y in}' migrants have bswme ft-bpden oji; the taxpayer, and ! ftUlioiljjh nxjihipg is faitl by other places it is wevit»lilo that they will also havo their burdens to l«tr. Tho condition of .atfai''6 ■ in tho Old Country js so deplorably bad ijjni* people who ean 'scrapo together tho passage money are fleejiig/rom it a stricken city T];e New Zeplnjid .Govmment, instituted a system of and every Home steamei' coming' ,t,9 the Dominion has a' fairly full complement of I'loso ivlio are willing; to "tty

their'Mck-' ;in New Zealand'as well os 1 of-.,those .who, are '•' down -. oil their, luck i' niid Jiftve no inclination to-try! iiiiiheiv -Nq -objection is raisod to the | imfioitution of thoso for whom worl/ i £oU:bo.found ( but-it'wad:pointed out loliy, &iO .that an indiscriminate system; rtf • immigration would end in (rouble. The 'trouble has come, and with it a proposal from' tho Wellington. Trades find Labor CounciU-that tho Government should, ac-vjpt quarterly reports fronitha secretaries of unions as. lo- llio stato pf irado in tho Do"minion, the claw of tradesmen needed ■ und tilso those:for'whom there, are no openings for' remission to the High Commissioner's: olFioo : in London, The proposal entirely' discounts* the ability of the labor. Bureau to supply the necessary inbrmntion; and if it is on the advice of " this; bopartment' tho •'Jovernment is proceeding in their selection oHminigrants, then Ij\' all moans let the Trades and..labor Goun-'-i i lmve a show. That body cannot possibly do worso than the Govern- : ment iu making a selection.