THE LAND QUESTION IN VICTORIA.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13596, 16 May 1908, Page 6

THE LAND QUESTION IN VICTORIA.

Recognising that. the.repurchasing policy is not proving all that was hoppd Irom it, Mr. Swinburne, Victorian Minister for Lands, has been talking about ths necessity for making the owners of large estates break them up for themselves, and after throwing out hints cf progressive taxation (which have already exists in Victoria) and probate duties (which have been carried the extreme length of practicability), wound up with the advocacy of the recent New Zealand legislation forbidding any holder of land beyond the value of £50,000, and giving owners of such holdings ten years to break them up in. Another plan he mooted was to force large landholders to- subdivide, the Government to advance, the money to the selectors. This fort of talk from a responsible Minister, and especially from the one member of the Government who has a reputation as a business man, must do an immense deal to destroy confidence in the security of property in Victoria, and what good would Mr. Swinburne's proposal do, if carried out? He seems to be unaware says the " Pn.storalists Review,'' that subdivision is going on in Victoria with such rapidity that without ■such legislation there will b.- very few landed estates worth ever £50.000 left within ten years. The very satisfactory establishment of the dairy industry and the growing of wheat under manui-a have been two potent factors in this direction, and the lamb export trad:- is going to be n third. What need is tliue to hurry artifically a process which i; g'ing on satisfactorily by natural nit-ai:-.;? As- fast as settlers fitted to make good use of the land are forthcoming, the land in small blocks is being provided fir them on a.iy terms they prefer. Any legislarive forcing of the process- would only mean putting people on to the land before they were fitted to make, good ui-e of it. And to do rhat ir is proposed to enact legislation of the most dangerous character. Mr. Swinburne would be shocked if property in town businesses were to be treated as he proposes to treat property in land. It is a shocking and lamentable event that ideas of this kind should be running in the heads of men from whom the country has a right to expect something better.