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Otago Daily Times, Issue 16354, 10 April 1915, Page 6

TnK large number of applications that were received for the subdivisions of the Omarama estate, for which the .ballot was held this week, clearly indicates the existence of a great, unsatisfied demand for land in this provincial district. A similarly convincing proof has within the last few weeks been afforded of the prevalence o£ what is described as "land hunger" in. another portion of the dominion. It is not to be supposed that these indications have escaped the notice of the Minister of Lands. They must suggest to him that the policy of the closer settlement of the land is one which must be prosecuted vigorously. Ifc is a policy with which the continuance of the progress of the country is closely connected. There is, in fact, notliing.that is more essential for, the enlargement of the prosperity of New Zealand than that her lands should be made to carry the maximum of population consistent with the profitable cultivation of her soil, and the profitable utilisation of her pastoral areas. The conditions at the present time are, of course, not suitable for the. acquisition of estates for subdivision. The money market at Home is practically closed to Governments except in so far as the financing of their war obligations is concerned, and, even if that difficulty could readily be overcome, the prices that are obtainable for the products of the farm are such 1 as ' to prevent the purchase of land' at prices that would afford, the smaU settler a reasonable prospect of permanent success in his occupation of land secured at the figurehe woulct have to pay for it. That the demand for land in moderate areas is far from satisfied is, however, plainly established, and it will be the duty of the Government to devise means whereby it may be adequately met in the future. It is a healthy sign that there should be a keen competition for land for settlement on the part of persons who are genuinely actuated by a desire to establish homes .for themselves. And where the fulfilment of that desire is frustrated by the possession by. individuals of very large areas which, are suitable for subdivision the application of a stimulus to the owners of these properties to cut up portions at least of their holdings for' small settlement is justified in the public interest.

Since the war started" l the movements of the vessels of the Australian squadron, with which have been associated the light cruisers belonging to the New Zealand station, have been pretty effectually concealed from the general public.' A statement has, however, just "been issued by the commonwealth Navy Department,, •which throws an interesting light on the subject, and in so doing gives' some indication of -the steps that were taken to check the threatened raids Of the powerful German squadron which was in the Pacific , When hostilities began. As might be expected, nothing is disclosed as to' very recent doings of the vessels, but a~detailed account of their movements, covering the. first five months of the war. ftas been •furnished. While this is mainly a lengthy list of dates and places of arrival and departure it affords instructive evidence of ' the unceasing activity of the Australian and dominion ships. ■ As a matter of fact, the call for their services was incessant, and the conspicuous feature of the record is the disclosure by it of the virtually unceasing movement of 'the ships and of the amount of work which was found for them to do. As we know, they did not get, into touch with the German Pacific squadron, with which the power of the battle-cruiser Australia, would alone 'have enabled them to cope, and we are not able to judge from the particulars that have been' supplied how close they came at any tjms to the ships of the enemy. The immense area over which, they were called upon to combine protection with pursuit necessitated the steaming of thousands of miles. The record says nothing of tha hopes and the disappointments associated with search for the enemy, but with the , Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and other lighter German cruisers at large the officers .and men of the Australian squadron.and of the vessels on the New Zealand station must have had a sufficiently anxious time. 'The duties of these fleets seem, moreover, to have been -varied enough.- The record is a recapitulation of excursions here and there, of patrol duty, and of the escort of transports with instructions in the !ast relation sometimes cancelled in favour of orders to proceed to a point where it was suspected the enemy's cruisers might appear. On November 1 the Minotaur, Melbourne, and Sydney, together with the Japanese cruiser Ibuki, left Albany with the Australian and New Zealand - for Europe, arid the* Pyramus and Philomel left Fremantle for Singapore. This left the Australia, Encounter, Pioneer, Protector, Warrego, Yarra, Parramatta, Psyche, and submarines, apart from the French cruiser Montcalm, to safeguard the Pacificl They did not, of course, encounter' the enemy. The German cruisers shortly afterwards took .their departure for the .south to e'nd their career off the Falkland Islands early in December. But ere this, in the second week in November, the Sydney receiving that historic message from/ Cocos Island, had conferred fame on the s Australian Navy by catching and destroying the German cruiser Emden. The 1 next record of the movements of the Australian and New Zealand fleets will show that • some of them have been very. far away * from their respective bases. • - ~ ■

The report furnished by General Godley to the Minister of Defence, concerning the alleged disposal of gifts intended by the people of New- Zealand for distribution among the members of the Expeditionary Force, will be read with interest. "There is no foundation," writes the commandingofficer, " for the rumours and insinuations that gift stuff is being improperly sold in canteens or that regiments are not getting what benefits they should." Such an assurance is welcome. . In view of the reports that have found circulation it is satisfactory to have so emphatic a repudiation of the idea that an injustice is being done the donors of gifts and those for whom the , gifts are intended through any laxity "in the system employed or on the paTt ofthose responsible for their distribution. All who took part in the highly laudable effort to minister gratuitously to the wants and comfort of the members of the Expeditionary Force by the contribution of suitable articles—tobacco, clothing, reading matter, and so forth—will be glad to hear that every care is being taken that their gifts are reaching their proper destination in the proper manner. Were it otherwise, of course, there would be very real ground for complaint. A difficulty, to which General Godley refers, in preventing these gift articles from sometimes being offered for. sale to the soldiers seems to afford an explanation of the way in which the idea may be created that there is an undue laxity somewhere. We are told' that the men frequently barter gift articles for others to camp traders, the latter then retailing them again elsewhere. This is a practice from which misconception as to the position might easily arise. This much remains, perhaps, t-o be said, that General Godley writes in the present tense. Whether his report is intended to cover past transactions can only be a matter of conjecture. Certainly the evidence that goods which were intended as gifts to the troops were sold in the canteens was fairly' strong, while the reports that gifts were not distributed to the men on their voyage to Egypt were, as regards some at least of the troopships, treasonably convincing. > M 1& should be .clad to think that General

Godley's assurances had retrospective force, but at •present that possibly seems an open question.