THE TE WERA PURCHASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19736, 8 September 1927, Page 10

THE TE WERA PURCHASE.

The Minister of Lands cannot be congratulated on his latest attempt to answer criticism of the Te VVera purchase. The attempt has not even the merit of being straightforward. His laboured endeavour to disprove an accusation of dishonest dealing is quite beside the point. The charge against him and his department is not one of that sort, and his effort to make it appear so proves nothing but his wish to divert attention from the real issue. The quarrel of the people of this country with him arises from his having made a bad bargain, one involving a wasteful and stupid expenditure of public monejWhen this block was bought he either knew or should have known that there was likely to be no effective demand for this land for purposes of settlement. It was patent to most people that thousands of acres were likely to be abandoned by returned soldiers, to come back into the hands of the department. If he knew this, why did he make this purchase 1 ? If ho did not know it, he proved himself unfit to hold the portfolio entrusted to him. There is a right time and a wrong for the Government to acquire land for settlement. The right time is when there is a surplus of settlers and a consequent demand for holdings. The

wrong time is when there neither exists nor is likely soon to exist such a demand Judged by this plain test, the purchase is indefensible. There never was a worse time, in the whole history of this country, for taking such a step. Instead of trying to throw, dust in the people's eyes, Mr. MeLeod would be better employed in laying to heart the lesson of this blunder. Until conditions in New Zealand alter materially, the Government will be well advised to leave altogether alone the purchase of estates for settlement. In this instance it has foolishly burnt its fingers, and the facts arc so clear that Mr. MeLeod, with this useless purchase on his hands, cannot deny them. The method he adopts to turn public attention another way is not calculated to enhance his reputation or to restore confidence in him as Minister of Lands.