The Wanganui Chronicle. "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." MONDAY, JUNE 29, 1914. LAND SETTLEMENT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 20114, 29 June 1914, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." MONDAY, JUNE 29, 1914. LAND SETTLEMENT.

Ono of the most illogical cojr.^lain-ts voiced by tho members of the Wardite party and its supporters has reterence to the fact that certain larga areas in different parts of the Dominion are .held under what may be termed monopolistic control, to the exclusion of a large number of would-be settlers. Thousands of people, we are told, might with advantage be placed on the big estates in New Zealand which to-day hold many sheep and cattle but few settlers. This is perfectly true. No one in his senses would attempt to deny it. But there is an element of misrepresentation, as well as a lack f.f logic, in the barefaced attempt to hold the Reform Government responsible for "this most unsatisfactory state cf affairs," especially when the unwarrantable imputation is accompanied by the suggestion that the evil complained of is a thing of recent growth. Tha truth is, of course, that " this huge land monof>oly, which kills once flourishing townships and strangles the progress and development of the country generally," has existed for many years, and flourished exceedingly under the long regime of the so-called Liberals. For the best part of a quarter of a century the party now in Opposition had the opportunity to introduce and the power to carry "legislation having for its object the breaking up of this huge land monopoly," but the large estates were left intact, and the obligation to facilitate their sub-division for th© purposes of closer setlemtent was bequeathed to Mr. Massey and his colleagues. Anl now, doubtless to the amusement of all intelligent electors, the partisan apologists who were turned down at the last election are stupidly railing at the Reform Government for not having accomplished in a couple of years what the Liberals lacked the courage even to attempt during thoir long reign. There are still a good ninny large estates which would be the better for sab-divi-sion, but it is an undeniable fact, known to everyone who has followed the course of events, that greatly increased activity in tha important work of land settlement followed the a-dve'ii of the Reform Administration. During the financial year ended 31st March 4 1013, 52,----099 acres of freehold and about 60,000 acres of leasehold were acquired by the Government. The Board of Land Purchase Commisjioners, in the report for the transaction of that year, stated that two othor pff.perties, containing 4,285 acres, had been acquired and disposed of, the expenditure involved being £428,----044. The Commissioners also reported liiat further purchases to the extent of 127,592 acres had been completed, and were to be dealt with before the cud of the financial year. Speaking at Blenheim in March last, Mr. Massey was ablo to say (dealing with figures for the calendar year) that as Minister of Lands ho had purchased last year 149,. 602 acres of land at a cost of £ool),600, and three-quarters of the area had been settied. 110 had during that period placed on tlio land 2,200 settlors, and ho sincerely hoped he; would pls.ee many moro during tho present year. In the House on Friday last Mr. Massty was in the happy position of being able to fehow that he had not hoped in vain, and incidentally to point to tlio fact that during the last two years in the Hawke's Br>y district- alone 3-3,000 acres o* land previously he'd in largo blocks had be'e*n cut x:p into small farm.'?. On tlie face cf it it is evident that the Massey Government is doing well what their predecessors in office foiled to do, and that to-day close settlement on sound lines is being expedited as it never >vas before.