THE DEMAND FOR LAND,

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12794, 12 June 1909, Page 4

THE DEMAND FOR LAND,

In a recent speech in the South Island the Hon. D. Buddo asserted that most of the agitation for the settlement of native lands at the present time was carried on by speculators, and he expressed the opinion that, for those who really wanted to farm, there was ample at their disposal in the Auckland land district. At the time the Minister gave utterance to the above we expressed surprise at such a mis-statement of the position. We pointed out that from one end of the Dominion to the other anxious inquiries are continually being made by genuine settlers, and referred to the fact that the experiences at every land ballot went to prove that for every satisfied and successful applicant there are scores, if not hundreds, of dieappointed ones. That our estimate of the true position was in no way exaggerated is proved by some interesting figures given by the Lyttelton Times, which points out that the fact of there being 61 applicants for the two sections on the Lyndon Estate offered at, the Land Office the other day shows that the earth hunger in Canterbury is as acute as ever. The reminder, says our contemporary, was hardly required, for there has been the same eager demand for every acre of decent farming land that has been offered in that province under settlement conditions during the past decade. And what applies to Canterbury applies with equal force to other parts of the Dominion. The other day two little sections at Motanau, remote from the railway and dependent upon surf boats for the despatch of their produce, were applied for many times over, and the same tale is told again and again in the Land Office records. The applications for the sections on the Lyndon Estate represented the desire of 61 persons to occupy 34,000 acres of land, and 59 of these persona have been disappointed. There are still 33,000 acres of land wanted to satisfy

the requirements of these unsuccessful applicants. In the Marlborough district some lime ago there were 251 applicants for a small grazing run and 275 applicants for another holding of a similar character. In Wetland there were 203 applicants for a section of 300 acres, and 194- applicants for a section of 294 acres. In the Hawke's Bay district there have been as many as 441 applicants for a single farm. In face of these facts it is idle for Ministers or for anyone else to tell us that there is plenty of land available for people who really want to make homes for themselves in the country. The Times rightly says that it is not the fall in prices nor the stringency in the money market that is sending young men to Australia in search of land. Prices are still good enough to enable an energetic farmer to. make a comfortable living and something more, if he holds his land under favourable conditions, and the banks and investment companies are not denying reasonable assistance to legitimate enterprise. But young men will not remain here unless they are given an opportunity to make a living. The rush for sections should impress upon the Government afresh the need for resuming a vigorous land settlement policy. It is only by such a policy that the permanent prosperity of the country can be assured.