THE LAND HUNGER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2902, 27 October 1909, Page 9

THE LAND HUNGER.

GOVERNMENT SUPINENESS. (From Cur Otis Coimspoxdext ) AUCKLAND, October 20. The ont«tandii.g feature in connection y*ith the recent teiid ballot at Te Akau i- that 425 persons, only too eager to take up Trd seMe on sections, had to go avvaj' disappointed, says the Herald this morning. All th-e specious e.\c«?e& of the ''taihoa' 1 Government put together cannot alter that incontrovertible fact. It is not to be supposed for a moment that those 425 land-seekers are the only ones desiroas of settling on the land. There are other's, probably thousands instead oi hundreds, and it is sheer absurdity to argu© that thesa people Avill be supplied with areas in tune. Most of them will be grey-headed, many of them will have departed to other countries before that mythical time arrives. If a privats pereon owning a sjr*at estate was desperately in need of monc-y, and was to invite bankruptcy by dealing out his land piecemeal, he would bs hailed as a dolt and an idiot for his pains. Yet the pla-cid Government p^rdsts in a policy of locking up the land pikl squeezing out tlie settiers who are egging for it to be opened. The Prime Mini<cr hn-. promised us a pronouncement on the land question this session. Let hope it wii! indicate a reform, and that the stupidity and blundering obstinacy of the prerent "system is abont to be replaced by a vigoro',6 and earnest endeavour to supply every acre of land for which there if 'a legitimate demand by &cltlcrs. The people oi the Dominion ought not to toicrat-p any other policy, and if they study their' own best interests they will not.