ABSENTEE LANDLORDISM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9790, 5 March 1910, Page 6

ABSENTEE LANDLORDISM.

THE FOUR PEAKS STATION. The Four Peaks station has, we understand, says the Temuka "Leader," p/<£»ori into the hands of an absentee, dance the death of the Hon L. Walker, and the manager and all' the hands have now been dismissed. When the late Mr Walker died the estate was in a deplorable condition; fences were down, gorse was growing all over the place, and evidence of neglect was to bo seen everywhere. The manager proceeded to put tilings in order, and most of the profits went in improvements. He was just getting the estate into good condition; he had some four teams working, and the arable land was being broken, and he was getting tjie land in a fair way to be profitable, when cut came someone from Home who dismissed him and everyone else, and left only a married couple on the estate.

Now this is an estate which the Government ought to look to at once. Four Peaks is capable of being cut up into five runs, and five farms, and, considering the earth-hunger that exists at present, we do not think that it ought to be all left to one man and hie wife. This land ought to carry fifty people, and it is the duty of the-Go-vernment to see that it does it. We are of opinion, therefore, that the Government should acquire this at once and out it up into suitably-sized holdings, and settle the people on it, instead of allowing an absentee to mismanage it and take all the profits out of the country. The people of Geraldine ought to petition the Minister of Lands to this effect, and urge their representatives in Parliament to push the matter ahead as soon as possible. There is nothing like agitation to get these things done, and if the people of Geraldine take the matter in hand there is ever/ possibility of success.