THE LAND PROPOSALS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13279, 11 September 1906, Page 5

THE LAND PROPOSALS.

THE LIMITATION OF AREA.

[BY TELEGRAPH.— SPECIAL correspondent.]

Wellington, Monday. The Post, a strong leasehold paper, which greeted the first announcement of the Government's land proposals with great favour, publishes an article to-night in which it takes strong exception to the proposed limitation of area to 1000 acres of firstclass or 5000 acres of second-class land. In the course of the article the writer says: — "Who but the hidebound Cockney would venture to say that the prosperous and up-to-date farmer who is large in his ideas, scientific in his methods, and liberal in his employment of labour, cannot in many cases do far more for the community by working, say, 2000 acres than several less capable men would do with the same land subdivided? . . . It is clearly to our interests to offer inducements to such men to leave other countries for ours, and already we hear of one intending settler and capitalist of this class who has taken alarm at the proposed limitation. . Let us have close settlement by all means, but let us also remember that the ideal of a ring-fenced Arcadia- prospering on spade work and chess-board equality is an utterly impossible one." ■ \ - The Land Bill is, I understand, unlikely to make its appearance to-morrow. It may be brought down on Wednesday, but more probably it will be deferred till Thursday.