The Timaru Herald FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 1907. THE LAND BILL IN SOUTH CANTERBURY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13241, 22 March 1907, Page 4

The Timaru Herald FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 1907. THE LAND BILL IN SOUTH CANTERBURY.

We are glad to learn that, after nil (lie Land Tlill in not. to be entirely ignored in South Canterbury. us tile campaign to bo instituted by the Norili Canterbury Incentive of the Farmers' Union is to be ex I ended, to at. least one eentre in this 1 district, liei.-ddine being ineltided in tho list, of places at which addresses on the Hill will be delivered by speakers appointed bv (lie Union. Tt is scarcely inedible that tho apathy which has made ifc necessary for the North Canterbury Executive to prosecute its campaign bsyond its- prbper limits is it. corr,cct index of the interest, which tho furmiiiji; community in South Canterbury is' of manifesting toward" jnojioTßcrl legislation )>y which it oiin hardly ('."tape being vitally' affected, aifd -\vft- trust -ilia! 'the activity -of our northern neighbours. and their pMnisod visit, to Tieraldine, will at. Ifafcl- ,-hiivc j-oine hitlueiioe in stimulating a. healthy spirit of eiiqniry into 'tho proposal* ol the ,(!overn>nient\ and their probable ed'Oct upon private ownership of land, and. settlement, under .'the . auspieeK. of .the State. I Wo are encouraged to look for some good results ill- this ■ direction ■by the fact'' that the decision bf "the North Canterbury Executive to include tieraldine in the itinerary of its lecturers originated* in a local, movement fur. the partial resuscitation of the Farmers' Unitln in .this district, with the object. ' according to the president of the North Canterbury branch of the , Union, of extending the work .of''the. Taxpayers' Association winch was formed, 1 some tame ago itv tieraldine. " The coiYiniittee." ill the words of the ■'newspaper reports of the Kxecutivo meeting- in Christchurch, " thought, that. that, would be favourable opportunity for holding a meeting in connection with the land campaign in Oeraldiiie. and afterwards of forming a branch of the tanners' Union there." I'ei'son'.ally we shall tie well satis-lied if the flwtfi purpose is well served, though we thilll l»ti more than doubly pleased if the secondary object can be attained as well. 11l will, however, require strenuous / efforls to put the Fanners' Union on its legs again in South Canterbury, for the organisation which began its. career so well ill 1 his district has been sadly wrecked by a variety of caus-es, until, as was said at Christ-, church on Wednesday, as far as tho Union is concerned. Simth Canterbury is almostdead. The Fairlio l>ranch, it. ■ appears,, lias been asked to mange' fot .i lamp iign in connection -\Wtli the Land 11)11 m South Canterbury, by'fc no, reply haw been -made to the request, anil the lomhiMOii Ins boon drawn, not. umiMunllj peih.ip«, that (he farmers of this- distjlit ne piepuM to . take the liill "lyinjf down. Under these circumstances it may appear,, a-wart®, .of labour ti| attempt, to Hog .'up' ail inl6re»'twliich the people most; directly concerned are nnwilliiig to develop, but it Hetmw peculiar, anil, hardly that: South Canterbury Kliould be conspicuous among theprovinces foi» its neglect of the most important measure tliafc has been placoil before tho country since the, late Sir John ' Mackenzie brought, his land legiNla- . f ion. Apart from; tho endowment, ulrin6es, which probably wilVnotn.ll'ect South Canterbury to any extent, Mr McNuliV Bill contains a great deal that will be fairly general in its application, especially in regard to the-provisions, for limitation and , the clauses relating <<» lm/rtgages: , It i# therefore desirable that tho farming corn.niunity sltould be made as fully acnuaiuted as -possible with the conlciits of tlie Bill, .. and we hope that, the promo let's of the meeting at, Oernldine will not be dinnppointed' with the re.st'iHs of the 1 trouble they are taking to have it discussed from (he point of view of the Farmer*' Union.