The Administration of Our Land Laws. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2355, 13 April 1899, Page 28

The Administration of Our Land Laws. TO THE EDITOR.

i gi r) — When the present Minister for Lands took office his zeal for thf> settlement of the people on the land caused him to^ break up a certain large run not 100 mile 3 from Palmerston into small grazing runs, and when j the land was put up to auction three of the pections were taken up by three unmarried brothers at Is 6d per acre, while the adjoining run was taken up by the mother of a large family at Is 3d per acre. When these runs were fenced, tho three bachelors applied for leave to surrender their runs and s?roup them together, and were successful, and at tho present tirut one of them holds ho three at 7d per acre, while the mother of the large family applied to surrender hers (the worst of the | four), was unsuccessful, and is still paying Is 3d per acre. The facts prove without doubt that wo are against any more increase to our population when the colonial vine is bled to nourish the dry tree. As we are on the eve of a general election, I think it phould prove edifying to the people to know some of these cases, to let them understand how tho people are settled on the land. And as we are led to understand that the bulk of tho testimonial found for the Minister for Lands in this locality was made up in sums varying from £5 tof£3o it might prove of benefit to us if you could publish a list of tho names in your columns. Wo would then bo more able to measure the public spirit of the contributors by tho amount of their donations. I am. etc., Fair Play. Palmerston, April 8.