CHEVIOT AND THE ELECTIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5714, 6 November 1896, Page 6 (Supplement)

CHEVIOT AND THE ELECTIONS.

«> ■ It seems rather late in the clay for the Conservatives to attempt to make political capital out of the purchase of the Cheviot Estate, but an " occasional correspondent " of the Otago Daily Times has furnished to that journal a most extraordinary report upon the Liberal Government's first special effort in land settlement, -which is evidently intended to assist the cause of the Opposition at the approaching election. The writer professes to be a practical man who knows all about the vahxe and capabilities of land, and to have carefully watched the progress of the Cheviot experiment. His conclusions may be indicated by one or two extracts from his letter. " The climate," ho says, "is very changeable. *. * * The fruit crop will never be much with so many pests. * * * The rents are all too high. * * * People must pay the rent in advance or go out, no matter what improvements they have put on the land. * * * Many of the larger holdings have been forfeited more than once. * * .* Some people paid very high for their sheen. * *■ * The stacks would not run the rain. * * * Never were people more harassed about rents * * * The settlers cannot get any money from the Government * * *• They seem to be keeping a bit quiet about the rents lately, but I don't know the reason * * * The steamer charges a fearful lot to take grain to Chnstchurch." All this may appear to the good people of Otago a very formidable indictment against the land policy of the Government, but if they take the trouble to examine its details they will see that it amounts to very little indeed. The fact that the settlers pay their rents -with the utmost regularity, is evidence that they are very much better off than most of the tenants of private landlords. The statement: that many of the larger holdings have been forfeited is absolutely untrue, and the suggestion that the Government is responsible for garden pests, badly-built stacks, the drop-in the price of sheep and the high steamer freights, is outrageously absurd. But perhaps the best reply to all these partisan inventions is furnished by Mr Eolleston's admission that the settlement of the estate has been a " crood work." After that ijhe friends of the Government need not tremble themselves about the imaginative flights of an j occasiona correspondent. . i