THE New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1895. LANDED SETTLEMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVII, Issue 2668, 18 November 1895, Page 2

THE New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.)

MONDAY , NOVEMBER 18 , 1895. LANDED SETTLEMENT.

With which are incorporated the Wellington Independent t eotablished 18i5, and the New Zealander.

One would think it a crime of the deepest dye to attempt to settle on tho land people who have no means. If wo may judge by the terms employed in denouncing the Government for their attempts, the crimo must bo unpardonable. Moreover, the jubilation at the alleged failure is 'extravagant enough to make one suspect that success would have been a thing to be regretted for evermore. We protest that this is not tho way to deal with the most important subject in tho political field. Were we speaking merely as supporters of the Government we could not regret the attitude taken up, because it is an attitude which betrays the extravagance of party feeling, which will accept nothing as good which comes from the other side ; not even in intention. The attitude is its own condemnation in the eyes of all fair-dealing men. But as we do not wish to deal with this great question of settlement in a party spirit, we must say that we greatly regret the in- ■ ability of the Opposition organs to consider it on its merits. What is to become of the surplus labour ? That is the great question underlying the whole. That there is surplus labour which cannot be absorbed is tho great fact which stares the country in tho face. The Stout - Yogel Government, urged on by Mr Ballauce, realised its importance, and foresaw tho imperative character of its pressure. They devised the village settlement system accordingly. That policy was energetically , established, and, though there were mis--1 takes, a large proportion of it was strikingly successful. Since their time the pressure has increased, and it has been met. Mr Ballance, when he returned to power, devised the Labour Bureau, and Mr McKenzie extended the systems of settlement in various ways. They and their colleagues felt that the problem of the surplus could not be left to itself. The surplus labour was going away in disgust and despair. The Labour Bureau organised its distribution, the Public Works Department adopted Mr Seddon’s 00-oporative system to employ as much as could be conveniently cared for of the labour not j absorbed through the Bureau, and tho • Labour Department worked hard and systematically not only to provide for the rest, but also to prevent the ranks of labour from being increased by lack of opportunities for settlement. The Labour Bureau has under tho control of Mr Reeves proved a striking success, so has the co-operative system under Mr Seddon, and so has much of the varied scheme of settlement worked by Mr McKenzie. The two first have had their detractors, and have them still. But their success is so assured that it is unnecessary to discuss the matter. Tho distributing agency of th,e Labour Bureau has proved i invaluable, "and the co-operative system ’ employed the average labour with tho best results; but for these agencies the problem of the unemployed would, during a period of depression unexampled for length and hardsiiip, have overwhelmed the Colony. The Labour Department did not by any means neglect the workers who wore in employment. On the contrary, it did a vast amount of work with the assistance of the Legislature towards ameliorating thoir Condition and stopping the tendency to drift into evil conditions, which is tho special danger of periods of depression. Against these measures it is the fashion of i some of our critics to rail. But no amount • of railing will make tho good record bad. Neither will it confuse the issues. The Labour. Department has not only attended to the workers, but it has greatly benefited those who Were unemployed; and so has the co-operative system. So also has the Department of Lands. Here again tho criticism adopted by partisans seeks to contuse matters. The Lands Department has taken a very wide course. It has done for agriculture in many ways more than all the Governments that over held office before in New Zealand; it has pushed small settlement ahead in a manner which has told heavily on the production of tho country; it has .begun to buy lands near tho centres for settlement, and it has not lost sight of the needs of tho men who must be helped to the land if,, they are to avoid the alternatives of starving or emigration. It is useless to pick out a case here and there, at the outset, of small returns. That is not sufficient to condemn the whole plan, or to discredit the men who are carrying it out with all the energy and means at their command. The plan of the Government is large and comprehensive. It deals with the town and country populations equally, assisting wherever necessity arises, helping with vigour, while not in any way diminishing the self-reli-ance and independence of the people concerned. These are the lines on which the Government is working. They are the only lines on which success is possible, if success is ever to be attained. As to the attainment, there can be no question of that. Success must bo attained. A very large proportion of our population must be placed on the land. That is the fact realised everywhere, and admitted in every country. The dependencies of the Empire, Mr Chamberlain has said, must be assisted by British capital to build works of communication, so that the surplus labour of tho Empire may become' settlers. That is ; the outline cf a proposal not yet formulated. Whether it will ever take practical shape under shelter of an Imperial guarantee no one can yet say. We mention the matter to show the j general recognition of the truth that I there is but one key for tho mystery of the surplus labour in the world. The I Government has accepted that fact from I the first day of its existence, and has shaped its course accordingly. It is not a question of whether tho people can bo got to settle. The fact is that they must bo got to settle. And if the thing cannot be done one way, it will have to bo done in anochor ; but done it must bo. Tho doing of it is the duty which every Australian Government is facing. We do not understand the jubilation which has been set up over the alleged failure in South Australia and Victoria. If these are failures, wedeplore them deeply; but we hope the Governments concerned will not be discouraged, that they will continue to wrestle with their duty. But we do not believe that there is failure. Even the report of a Parliamentary Committee is not infallible. We remember distinctly a condemnation wholesale of the village settlement system of Mr Ballance; and we have a vivid recollection of tho later returns of much of that system and of its successor on the same lines, by which returns the energy, skill and success of the settlers is shown to be very marked. We likewise decline to accept the condemnation of the whole work of our extended system from a few carpers who pick holes here and there with malice prepense. The Government have got hold of the right idea; they are carrying it out on the right lines ; they cannot hope to commandsuocsss in every case ; but we have no doubt that their policy will amply j ustify itself in the prosperity and contentment of the people.