WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16834, 28 June 1926, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

LAND SETTLEMENT.

REVIVING INTEREST.

(Times Correspondent.) WELLINGTON Saturday. The "Dominion," whose ready acceptance of the progressive Conservatism, so admirably expounded by Lord Hugh Cecil in various publications, has not yet freed itself from its pathetic concern for broad acres and their possessors, appears this morning as an apolopist for the Government's hesitancy in dealing with the ever pressing settlement question. "Much of the land still in the hands of the Crown," it says, "is of a kind on which inexperienced settlers would have poor prospects of success. On the other hand, land values are still so high as to make it unsafe for the Government to go into the question of acquiring land by negotiation or by compulsion. Sir Joseph Ward has advocated compulsory acquisition and a writing-down of values, Ihq latter presumably in the case of Crown lands. At a time when there is an insecure basis of values, however, compulsory acquisition is more likely to heighten than to remedy existing troubles. It is apparent also that no good or lasting purpose would be served by writing down the values of a comparatively limited area of unsettled Crown laud to a relatively lower level than that of land generally." It is an clement of patience the "Dominion" would cultivate and an abiding faith in the Government's intention to -do the best thing possible at some remote period.

"Party of One." Sir Joseph Ward, the "party of one," as he has dubbed himself, with no colleagues to appease and no whips to direct, when seen to-day said he had no wish to embarrass Ministers in any way in the extremely difficult task that lay before them. On the contrary, he and his party—with a smile—would be. glad to co-operate heartily with the Government in any practical means that could be devised to free the country from the reproach of unemployment and tj increase the volume, as well as the value, of its exports. The Reform Party's accession to office had been largely due to the iteration and reiteration of its slogan, "Settlement, more settlement and still more settlement." No phrase had done a party greatjr service for many a long year. Sir Joseph did not wish to say that the achievements of the Reformers had fallen somewhat short of the spirit of their slogan. That concerned a page of history which had been turned over for the time being. He was satisfied, however, that the younger people of New Zealand were beginning to realise, even more fully than their fathers did, that the products of the soil must remain always the mainstay of the Dominion. With the development of agricultural science there would be an impelling demand for land which no government would be able to withstand. Difficulties in the Way.

Beferring more particularly to the comments of the "Dominion" upon the settlement question, Sir Joseph Ward | said ho fully appreciated the magni- | tude of the difficulties that lay in the i way. His own business experience j during the last few years had impres- j scd upon him the importance of pat- , ience and caution. Uf course there j could be no seizing of property at less than its aclual value and no indiscriminate "bursting up ' of estates. No sane man with a sense of responsibility would espouse a quality of that kind. But inflated land values and inferior Crown land could not be left to bar the way of settlement indefinitely. No one, after the unfortunate experience with soldier settlement., would think of applying compulsion to holdings of a reasonable siae already profitably occupied. Holders of properties of that kind could be left to the emplovmeni of their good fortune and any delusions they might entertain concerning values. Hut there still were larce properties in the country which could be cut up with advantage were thev purchased at a price based upon I heir actual value to the present owners. As for Crown lands it surclv would be better to have them contributing something to the out-put of the country than lying idle for another half century. It was only the very poorest of the Crown lands, Sir Joseph said as he rose to keep an engagement, that should be waiting for something to turn up.

Rough Football,

One of the lion. W. Nosworthymost desirable immigrants, a publ school boy, old enough and enced enough to look after himself. Ins formed a poor opinion of W ellmglon roolball from some of the samples he lias witnessed during the last few weeks That he is not suffering from parochial prejudice may be judged from the fact that he has high praise for the. last "All Black' team that visited England. "A bit strenuous, and at times inclined lo be unnecessarily rough!" »ic says of the Dominion heroes, "but always good sports, accepting bard knocks just as cheerily as they save them." But he has seen. so lie savs, many less admirable exponents of the game, particularly in he lower grades of the compclilions. He presumes the trouble is largely due to' the difficulty of securing competent referees for the junior games But the rough play, he alleges, is no confined solely to the juniors On Saturday last, ho slates very delibcratelv and with the credentials of an experienced player, he saw members Of two senior teams in UelMtUffl minutes of the game deliberately Sng one another in a fashion that would" have earned instant suspense," an a long term of disqualificationon any English football field. This sorf of thing, he. declared would have drawn emphatic words of disapm.obat.ion from a London football crowd but in Wellington, so far as ho lKl d observed, it was accepted as a litlnt by the barrackers of both sexes.