Tuapeka Times AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. "MEASURES NOT MEN." LAWRENCE : WEDNESDAY, 25TH SEPT., 1901. LAND SETTLEMENT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4894, 25 September 1901, Page 2

Tuapeka Times AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. "MEASURES NOT MEN." LA WRENCE : WEDNESDAY, 25TH SEPT., 1901. LAND SETTLEMENT.

The annual report presented to the House of Representatives showing the operations of the Department of Lands and Survey for the twelve months which ended on the 31st March of the present year can scarcely be considered satisfactory as far as the progress of land settlement ia Otago is concerned during that period. The transactions for the past year, it may be remarked, are shown to have been fully equal, if not slightly in advance, of those of 1899-1900, the actual lands dealt with being 1,677,744 acres, as against 1,573,823 acres of the previous year ; and the cash collected £431,338, as against £382,943 for the year 18991900. Only to some extent can this be said to be satisfactory. If the demands of the colony for land for settlement were of a stationary character, the comparison of one year's transactions with another, which it is customary to institute, might be fairly accepted as proof that the Lands Department had met its obligations in a satisfactory manner. But as we know that there comes with each year an increased demand for land such comparisons are not convincing as arguments. For instance, the new selections for the past year are given as 2,312, whilst those for the previous year are given as 2,810. There is certainly in this comparison no proof of the existence of a vigorous land policy and justifies the statement made ia the Souse of Representatives a few days ago by Mr Bennefc that the people in his district had had no response to their requests that land should be opened up for settlement. But this, as we have just indicated, applies comparatively to the entire province of Otago. The report shows that the largest transactions in actual land settlement have been in tbe Auckland district, where 472 settlers took up on leasehold tenure 182,236 acres. Wellington comes next with 149 leasehold settlers on 40,143 acres ; Taranaki with X 45 eettlera oa 66,121 acres, and Otago with 109 settlers on 25,327 acres. There is no lack of proof, if proof were required, regarding the strength of the desire for the freehold which obtains. Even though it has been demonstrably proved over and over again that the system of freehold tenure in small farming tends to the ultimate extinction of the small owner and the creation of a class of large landowners, yet it is and no doubt always will be the BVBtem of land tenure that men will show the strongest preference for and, when necessary, make the greatest sacrifices to secure. During the year 195 holders of the old perpetual leases converted their leaseholds of 67,941 acres into freehold, and 177 holders of deferred payment ll66ttS£B made ibelr final payments OU 123,8241 23,824 acres and also became freeholders. In the summary for the year we find a large increase in the number of selectors who chose the tenure which gave a right in the condition to acquire the freehold. It is worth noting that the size of the farms selected, when the applicants had their choice of both the area and tenure they preferred, did not vary greatly under the different tenures, being about 300 acres when the choice was freehold, 330 when it was a lease in perpetuity, and 390 when a lease with right of purchase was chosen.

Naturally moat interest, in this part of the colony at least, will attach to tbe operations for the year under $i)e, XtfHVJL for Settlements Act. Thiß is because there are little if any Crown lands left

and, therefore, tbe progress of land suitable for small settlement must largely depend on the disposition of the Government to acquire land by purchase under authority of the Lands for Settlements Act. During the present year ten estates, containing 43,000 acres, were dealt wltbt The cost of the land purchased was £168,193. In addition to these, five estates were purchased: bat not in time to put them in the market by tbe end of the year. The area of these five estates ia 41,015 acres, and tbe cost up to date £157,666. One of these purchases is Earnscleugb, in Otago, about which much already has been heard that is scarcely flattering to the Government. At the best it can only be said of it that it is a poor concession to Otago under the Land for Settlements Act. The inadequacy of the provision for land settlement throughout the colony daring the year is disclosed ia the fact that the Hatuma estate, in Hawke's Bay, containing 25,737 acres, which was cut up into 58 farms of from 110 to 1,510 acres, and offered for settlement since the end of the year, was leased on tbe first day it was placed in the market. The same occurred with regard to three other estates of more moderate dimensions. As a whole the rent actually received during the year is equal to 4 per cent, on an expenditure of £1,656,431, though possibly when roading and other expenses have been included the letting value of the land opened for selection will be about five per cent.