THE Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1881. DEFERRED PAYMENT LANDS.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 121, 2 March 1881, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1881. DEFERRED PAYMENT LANDS.

"■Words are things, and a drop i»f ink falling like dew upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions think."

Tn a previous issue we expressed regret at the very small number of sections m the Kairahga Block which were allotted for deferred payment, m contrast to those set apart for cash. We see no reason why the whole block should, not have been devoted to settlement by persons, who with limited capital, were on the look-out for a freehold upon which to permanently locate their families In the Kairanga Block there were one hundred and nine sections, and out of that number no less than eighty were devoted to cash- competition, while but twentynine were placed within the reach of the struggling settler. We have made inquiries from those who are authorities on the subject, and we have learned that the only feaioiTfor the step is the impecuniosity of the Government, and their anxiety and eagerness to scoop into the State Treasury as much ready money as they can seize hold of. This we hold to be a very shallow policy, for there are very many other ways of creating a revenue than allowing the lands of the colony to pass away for ever. New Zealand is heavily burdened with a public debt, upon which a heavy yearly sum m the shape of interest has to he paid, and instead of selling the land and squandering the money off-hand, it would be far more wise to devote as much of it as possible to settlement upon.4eferred payment whereby a yearly revenue for ten years to pay the interest would be mated. Of course when the Commissioner of Crown Lands was fixing the upset price of both the deferred payment and cash sections, he took good care to put so much an acre on to the former m excrss of the latter, so th*tt although no interest is charged from year to year, yet it is really paid by the selector m the increased bulk sum, and consequently m the yearly rental payments. In other words, the selector p:ivs, we will say £50 a year rent, instead of £45 rent and £5 interest, the whole difference heing that it is called rent and not interest. As a proof that, even to t»*e ftovrroment, the cash transactions is a losing game, we may mention.

the very significant fact that — while there were eighty cash sections and only twenty-nine deferred paymeut lots put up for sale, the bidding for the cash sections only realised £860 2s m excess of the upset price, while the others brought a surplus of £998 14s 6d. We hold, however, that iv such an important matter as the permanent settlement of the Crown Lands of the colony the Almighty Dollar, .-hould be set aside, and toe Government not be swayed b}' a monetary consideration. The distribution of the lands bo as to secure homes for the people, is the first great necessity of the times, and should certainly be the great leading consideration to sway those m whose bands they are vested and held m trust. It is a mistaken idea with statesmen that their first duty is to sell the -land to the highest bidder m order to swell the revenue of the State. They obtain, of course, what flows into the Treasury — a wealth which will be melted like dew before the morning's sun - while they lose a permanent treasure, the backbone of a steady prosperity, and the foundation of future greatness. There can be no higher or holier obligation imposed upon statesmen, or impressed upon the people, than to lead and aid the settler up to independence, to unite him to the soil, and make him the possessor of a home of his own. It is the most narrow-minded, selfish, and unwise policy to set the value of money against that of bona fide settlement, for m placing tbe people upon the lands of the Mate, the Government embark m an investment which will return the principal with compound interest. The true wealth, stability, and greatness of a nation lies m the people being the owners of the soil. Why was it that tbe French nation burst the chains of bondage which the victorious Bismabck had rivetttd upon her, ! and fondly hoped would keep her forei head m the dust for the next hundred j years. What was it that enabled her, to the astonishment of the world, to pay off .the milliards of indemuity which was designed to ciipple her commerce and ruin her prosperity ? Not the wealth or grandeur of her cities, nor the capital of her merchants or bankers, but tbe fact that she was blessed with a peasant proprietary, from which all true national greatness and prosperity springs. How is it that America, wi»h a population just about equal to Great Britain, has m less than a decade wiped out her national debt, while that of Kngland is yearly increasing m amount ? It was not by the aid of tbe cities of New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Cincinnati, an'l New Orleans, that this was accomplished, but by the wealth of her Western States, where. the once-boundless prairies have heen taken possession of where the roving Indian has given place to the sturdy farmer, and herds of buffaloes to nocks of sheep. We m this new country abould take- lessons from the past, and while we copy all from the Old World which is calculated to make us great and glorious, we should carefully avoid tbe shoals and quicksands upon which others are wrecked. We see those countries whose first aim it is to conquer the prairie and the forest, and thereou place the tillers of the soil ; who think not of what can be got for but jrom the laud, we s«e them shooting ahead of nations whose wealth is m the hands of the few, not the many, and when unfortunately any national calamity takes plac* they possess recuperative resources unknown to their rivals, supposing that calamities such as befel the French «• mpire or the American Republic were to happen t<> the people of England, can we imagine for a moment that they are possessed of sufficient vitality to rise superior to the occasion as the Americans did ; or phoenix like, spring from the ashes with more than pristine splendor, like the French. Tbe population of England is naturally gregarious, for while the large cities are daily making giant strides m strength of numbers, the agricultural districts becmie day by day less settled. It will be thus seen that the people of England, that is, those who 'earn their bread by the sweat of. their brow," are completely without capita], living from hand to mouth, and if deprived of employment for ever so short a time, starvation or Jwant is the result. They have nothing to fall back upon ; no stay m the time of adversity, and are by no means able to keep themselves, let alone to protect tbe national honor. The few thousand noblemen amongst whom the great bulk of tbe country is parcelled are not sufficiently endowed with that self-sacrificing patriotism or love of country which would induce them to contribute to the national indebtedness m proportion to the wealth at their command, and hence England has been bowed down for the last two hundred years with the weight of an over-increasing national debt hung round her neck. We must not be thought to urge that the capitalist should not be given a stake m the country. Such is not the case ; his residence on and cultivation of the Boil is a much -looked -for desidnratnm, but they should be men like Mr. Manson or Mr. Htjhst, who buy not for speculation or to keep tbe land locked up unimproved, while it increases m value by the hard toil of the adjoining selector, but who not only devote iheir capital to the improvements of their property, but give employment to less fortunate ami struggling neighbors. At the land sale the Commissioner said it would be some five or six weeks, before the ultimate disposal of the unbought sections would be dealt with, and we trust m the meantime that they will be withdrawn from purchase aud placed m the market for selection.