HAWKE’S BAY-LAND IN PLENTY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8188, 1 August 1912, Page 4

HAWKE’S BAY-LAND IN PLENTY.

The “Hawke's Bay Tribune” has a column and a half editorial, attacking tho Farmers’ Special, and particularly the article by Mr Mills on “Land Monopoly and How to End it.” It is interesting to notice how very effectively the “Tribune” takes up tho work. For instance, in the article in question Mr Mills says “it will he impossible for tho people now in New

Zealand ever adequately to reward the New Zealand pioneers who first conquered the ffrests, drained the swamps, subdued the savages, and endured the loneliness and hardships of life in this country when all tho blocks were backblocks.” ♦ * * • *

In reply to this tho “Hawke’s Bay Tribune” says "Mr Mills should clear his mind of his hazy ideas of tho pioneers’ lives of luxury and tho Brownisms of tho ‘God Almighty sends the rain down, and the sheep eat it up’ typo, and make himself acquainted with tho hardships of tho men whose estates ho has tho nerve to talk about administering in his own great-Arne-i-ican-legislativo way” . . . “nor does he pause to remember tho hardships of the families of tho early pioneers, tho roadless wastes, tho bridgeless rivers, tho dreary swamps, tho everlastin'; fight with fern and, scrub, the difficulties of grassing, and the lives of eternal solitude lived by tho women folk.” t • • • •

Tho question of importance is wherein does tho editor of the “Tribune” take issue with the position of Mr Mills. Both contend that it would he impossible over to fitly and fully reward the pioneers for the services they have rendered So far as that is concerned both are in agreement.

But tho “Tribune” further says “Wo would also remind Mr Mills that the day of closer settlement has arrived .. . but wo also recognise that thero is such a thing as social contract, and that what a man has corn© by honestly and fairly is his to dispose of as he desires,” and he further speaks of tho proposals of the United Labor Party as a movement from which it is necessary to safeguard property “from pubf’o confiscation and private robbery” ; but in thje article about which tho editor is supposed to he talking Mr Mills says “the validity of all existing private property rights must be recognised; not only that, but improved land values heretofore publicly created and privately appropriated must go to existing owners.” Again tho “Tribune” seems to be in complete accord with, tho position of Mr Mills.

The editor of tho “Tribune” is quite exasperated over a statement tnsas in the “New Zealand Times” to the effect that 46 ner cent, of the lands in Hawke’s Bay aro “quite unimproved,” and ho closes his article with the assertion, “Land there is in plenty on tho market. for people to buy at its productive value, and land there always will be- for those who want it and are prepared to work it.” That is all Mr Mills is asking for. • * • • •

It is interesting to discover tlat the editor of the “Tribune” is quite well aware that there is a marked difference between “productive” and “speculative” valuo in land. It is a shame that Hawke’s Bay should have such a reputation as the land of the squatter, that there should be so much misunderstanding concerning the large tracts of half cultivated or altof other uncultivated lands. Tho “Triune” should really get busy and give the facts, not general assertions. We suggest that a small chart showing the exact acreage and the size of the tracts in holdings of more than three hundred acres on the one hand, and less than three hundred on tho other, should bo prepared. It would be a matter of startling interest to tho people of New Zealand who have been so tong laboring under _ the _ impression that land monopoly did exist in - Hawke’s Bay. • e * • •

Tho editor of tho "Tribune” maintains that the closer settlement movement has arrived. Then there must have been a time when Hawke’s Bay was without the closer settlement. The indication is that there la still something for closer settlement to accomplish. How the closer settlement movement is going to put land vithin the reach of all when there is already plenty of land for sale at “its productive value” is a little difficult of com. prehension. • t • • •

The thing which the United Labor Party has proposed is that i rices shall be fixed on all lands of every description whatsoever at the rate of their E resent’ productive value, and that ereafter whatever values are added by individual enterprise shall belong to those by whose enterprise these values are added; but whatever values are added by public enterprise shall go to the public. : That will guarantee that everywnere in New Zealand there shall really exist what the editor of tho "Tribune” seems to think already exists in Hawke’s Bay—land for all, and that at its productive value. Then the speculator will drop into the background: the cultivator will have a chance. . •«/ • * •

Mr Mills will ho speaking in Hastings Sunday afternoon next. His subject will be “Moses and the Land Question.” Ho is quite confident that if the people in Hawke’s Bay will practiso every dn-y in the week what Moses preached in Palestine so long ago, there will he no further trouble on tho land question.