The Land Question.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1806, 12 March 1886, Page 2

The Land Question.

Thi old man eloquent—Sir George Grey, ha* made an eloquent speech at Auckland, and received a perfect ovation from the people. On the question of the State resuming possession of land held in large blocks by private individuals, Sir George Grey said “He would sink in oblivion the past, but affirm the principle for the future, that where the public good required it, such lands could be taken at a fair valuation. Lands between their great cities would be easily settled upon. If Parliament bad authority to take these lands it could be done without increasing the national debt—namely, by a rental system. His proposal for the area of farms waa 160 acres, but he was not wedded te it. Their tenant farmers would pay a small annual rent, which could not be increased, leaving them the land lor ever. Blocks bought would be cut up and valued, aecoiding to position, soil, and area, and the rentals would meet the interest of the purchase money which Parliament would probably be able to get at 4 or per cent. These leaseholds would pass from father to son. just like freeholds. His plan would not only benefit small farmers, but large landholders, as enabling some of them to release tbeir mortgages, and have besides money in pocket. These liberal land concessions would not only attract a good class of farmers from Australia, but Irom the Mother Country. He proposed to pay for lands in State land bonds having them as low as L2O. and issuable like a bank note payable to bearer. If the owner objected to take bonds, they could be cold, and the owner paid in cash, for be believed bonds would be at a premium, aud form a good medium of exchange. The security would be good, and the value constantly increasing. No national debt would be incurred by these measures.”