Land Dummyism.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 426, 8 March 1890, Page 2

Land Dummyism.

The Walrarapa Star te very rough on tha land system practised in the Forty Mlle Bush H ssyg Some very curious revelations could be unfolded, we believe, If a commission was only appointed to Invectigate on the spot the way in which that fat piece of onuntry—the Forty Mile Bush —ls being juggled. We say juggled, though the term is hardly sufficiently expressive, because if we are correctly Informed, no contrivance! on the part of the Fakirs end wonder workers of eastern o'lmes can rival the dexterity with which the bush lands are being shuffled about from hand to hand, from dummy to speculator, from speculator to agent, and from agent In certain c.sso to the Dona fide cultivator, who, in tha long rue, has to pay a most exorbitant figure fur the land that is passing out of the public oontrol, and rapidly becoming freehold; tilt state receiving aa an equivalent a sum that hsrdly paya for the cost ot survey' and subseqaent administration. Last week there was a large tend sale and about 8000 aorei were disposed of. Of this arsa 392 aorgt were told for cosh and realised £7OO. Thl retnaluqer were ballottefi for by the Land Board in the usual style known to oonjnrora; We qo not say that there Was any sleight of hand, although we Igarn tfiat the hair of car*tain selectors is gradually beginning to stand On end Rt vagaries gufi eccentricities or ths ballot box—vagaries which, M they ape related, tota'ly eclipse the performance! of the three card men on the raoeoouraae, ot such individuate as Kudarx. , . . The whole system of ballotting te rotten. It te a system beside which the totalteator te absolutely unimpeachable, and from ths Land Board downwards, we fear it te demoralising the community. We believe that in no pan of the world has dummying been so successfully practised as it is being at preaMt in the Forty Mile Bushunfier the land laws M administered by the Wellington Laid Boardi