SPECIAL SETTLEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13798, 10 July 1908, Page 4

SPECIAL SETTLEMENT.

Under the form of a scheme of special land settlement," the Government is preparing to make a most important concession to the Freeholders, having evidently recognised that the feeling of the agricultural constituencies is too strong to be ignored on the eve of an election. What is practically an extension of the Lands for Settlement Act system is proposed, the Government to undertake the business of finding the money wherewith to purchase blocks of land offered privately to groups of settlers who are prepared to accept the general conditions of that. Act, and to repay principal and interest in 32$ years, thus acquiring the freehold. Settlers will thus be assisted to obtain freehold farms without any loss or cost to the country, the purchase money being obtainable at the lowest rates and the security held by the Government an ample one. Sir Joseph Ward very correctly argued in his Financial Statement that this would enable the closer settlement of the land to be carried out more expeditiously. We may add to this that if the measure is kept free from unnecessarily objectionable provisions, it will enable closer settlement to be carried out much more satisfactorily. It will help to break up great freeholds into small freeholds, and to do so under conditions which will enable the poor but industrious agriculturist to win the freehold by hard work and thrifty farming. This is in line with the policy advocated by the Herald, and we congratulate the Government upon having recognised to this very considerable extent the best interests of our agriculturist. Hitherto, whenever the Government has assisted in the breaking-up of estates, it has done so only upon condition that they transformed from freehold into leasehold. Under this scheme small freehold farms may be obtained, with Government assistance, from freehold estates; a step in the right direction which all but those who would turn every farmer into a State tenant will heartily approve.