New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 8, 21 June 1873, Page 5

New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 1873. THE LAND QUESTION AND POLITICAL PARTIES.

During the recent elections for Provincial Councillors little has been said by either of the contending parties on the Land Question. This is satisfactory so far, inasmuch as the public has been spared a renewed exhibition of hypocrisy. On this occasion parties, in the keenness of personal conflict, have forgotten their habitual caution, and through that forgetfulness, inseparable from loss of temper, treated with external contempt a question which on good reasons we may believe they »lways treated with internal contempt. From both sides— that is, from the Ins and the Outs— the cry has been, land for the people, and on this cry terrible political battles have been fought. But co what purpose? People are not settled on the land, and the consummation, which parties pretended to have so much at heart, is as far off as ever. It is notorious that Mr Macandrew's policy is the selling of large blocks of land. He would raise up a landed aristocracy with a dependent tenant class, to be at no> distant period rack-rented, and driven like sheep to the polling, booths, ho doubt he would deny he entertained any such intention. But we are not speaking of his intentions, but of his policy and its inevitable results.

On the other *hand, Mr Rei-i's policy is to create small holdings, but on a very limited scale. He is opposed to the sale of large blocks of laud to individuals, and for this he deserves credit and the thanks of the community. But his fault is that, through a weak and narrow-minded fear as to the future, he holds back, when he ought to boldly dash forward. He dreads the too rapid disposil of Crown lands, and says, "We -want the land for our children." For this he deserves condemnation and censure. The future will take

! are oi itself, and the duty of^the present generation is to do I the work of the generation.

At this moment there ar« people who want land on which to settle, and who are impatiently waiting for an opportunity to utilise some of our waste lands ; and the exchequer is in need of the proceeds of such land. Nevertheless, the land remains unoccupied, uncultivated, waste. Districts of country, capable of carrying hundreds of thousands of people who would benefit themselves, and add to the prosperity and strength of the community, are lying in a state of. pure nature, presenting to the traveller a landscape of desolate beauty, and filling him with surprise and indignation at the dog in the manger policy of the men who, to gain popular favor, pretend to patriotism, whilst really acting on the most selfish principles. It is our conviction that none of the men who lead parties in this Province are in earnest in saying they desire settlement on any scale commensurate with the requirements of the* Colony. Nothing worth speaking of will be done by Mr Macandrew or Mr Reid, or the respective parties they lead, unless a strong public opinion urges them on. The past give grounds for this opinion. Had these men been in earnest, the land laws, though perhaps far from being perfect, if properly administered, afforded ample means of placing thousands of farmers in various districts of the country, which have now become the property of some large proprietor, or are still lying waste. It is the duty, therefore, of the people to take care that their representatives shall no longer trifle with this question or deceive them. Aud this can be done by a strong expression of opinion which even the dullest representative cannot disregard.