THE GOVERNMENT LAND POLICY,

Otago Witness, Issue 2085, 8 February 1894, Page 19

THE GOVERNMENT LAND POLICY,

(Fhom Qua Own Correspondent.) Wellington, February 6. THE NATIVE LAND PURCHASE AND

ACQUISITION ACT.

The more this statute of last session is examinedf the more apparent does it become that its provisions will prove inadequate to supply the increasing demand for land for settlement in the North Island. The want of necessary purchasing power by the Government of the day, whose spending power for the purchase of Native lands is limited to £50,000 in any one year, is one cause of inadequacy, but this, as I have previously said, the Premier proposes to remedy next session by legislation. A greater weakness of the measure is, however, the inability of the Government to take the lands when required for settlement unless with tho concent of the Maori owners. It appears from the act that no matter how urgent it may be for the public welfare to resume Native land for cultivation aud occupation by those who desire to use and occupy tit, though ready to pay a fair valve, the Government must be bound by the desire of the owners. They are for all practical and business purposes in the same position as European owners, with the difference that they are not so amenable to business. The Lands for Settlement Bill of last session was designed to give the Government power to resume the estates of Europeans as required for close occupation upon the equitable appraisement of values. With some modification, and probably the addition of an important principle of conditional purchase, the same measure will be put in the forefront of the business of the new Parliament. Now, so long as the Maori landowners are kept on the same plane as the Europeans as to the taking of their lands, they will the more readily acquiesce in now legislation ; and I think it will be found that the Government will next session ask Parliament to apply the resumption provisions of the Land for Settlements Act alike to all large areas, whether possessed by Europeans or Maoris. RESUMPTION OF PRIVATE ESTATES.

A NEW FORM OF PURCHASE.

I have reason to think that the Government are considering a new form of purchase of private estates of the Cheviot class. It is apparent that the purchase for cash of such properties as Cheviot and their disposal under perpetual lease at a rental equal to 5 per cent, of value cannot be persevered in without some new and hitherto unformulated system of a continuous supply of cheap money for such a purpose. The Cheviot experiment can hardly be repeated on the same lines, yet the Government will be impelled to give access to the land. Moreover, for reasons with which the bankers of the colony are familiar, numerous estates, spme of great value, are now bfting pressed upon the Government. The new departure that is to admit; of these properties being acquired is, I understand, to be acquisitidn by lease and not purchase of the freehold, the State subdividing the land and sub-letting it at a rental that will provide interest to the owner and cover the cost of subdivision and administration for the purpose of satisfying any immediato demand for land. Now, much might be said upon the side of such a method, but the democracy will recognise that under such a system the unearned increment will still fall to the large landowner, and the Conservative party in tho community will rightly oppose the aspect of the systsm that gives the Government of the day extraordinary influence over a constantly increasing body of tenants. The men who fail, and they will be many, will naturally bring pressure to bear to procure extended time for payment, and later, as else-" where, for a remission of rent. The complications and possibilities of corruption need not be described, for the danger is obvious, and to guard against it a system would have to be devised under which the tenant must be made to feel that unless he can fulfil his contract upon strict business lines he must surrender the land. This would moan that the Government would divest itself of great power ; and all Governments like power, not excepting even that of Mr Seddon.

A shark between 16fb and 17ft in length wa3 found rolled up in the net o? tome fishermen off the Bluff.

The Hauroto, which arrived at Wellington from Sydney on Monday night, brought 130 passengers for all ports, 74 of the number being in the steerage. This is the vessel's full complement of passengers. The customs officers in Sydney are strictly enforcing the provisions of the Imperial Passengers Act, and refused to allow the Hauroto, iv common with other New Zealand traders, to exceed her complement. A largo number of people who wished to come to New Zealand in the Hauroto were disappointed in obtaining passages by her.