The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-02-24
"SOCIAL PESTS s', c. Wheat Ts the ,n New 7 Zealand

lands He is in perfect accord with the
system Of cutting UP the big estates. and
says tnat all such experiments undertaken
ny the government has proved successful
Hclc are his own words:
Thc ideal condition would be one in
Whlca the state owned all the land ana
OF interest on certain conditions. Slch Il
system might be introduced into new
country but here In New Zealand we have
property rights which have grown un
through the past half century, which pre-
vent our adopting such radical measures.
we mad here. MP until 1876, a sort Of Il
federation Of states. Each state controlled
It's own public lands and It's own railways.
As the various governments wanted money
they sold their land, and that in large
tracts at prices which were rldlculously
low. Much Of them were bought by ahSen-
Tee capitalists at ten shlliugs there
abouts per acre. ! know one man who
paid ten shIlllngs $3.50 per acre fot
10000 acres. That land is now worth So
an aero. Other men bought tracts Of
2piOG acres, yNDOO acres and some OF
100000 acres. This land they held. lying
value In somc cases they used It for
grazing sheep, with perhaps half dozen
shepherds on q prncipllltv which should
support several thousand farmers
AT that time" Premier Seldom went on.
there seemed n craze for large farms
The small holders were bought ont by
these large ones Corporations were formed
IN england TO get control of the New Zea-
land lands
1.-The lands wege managed for syndlcates
and the tenants were squeezed In every
possible way to Increase the dividends. In
parliament here 1t was asserted that the
manager of one OF these absentee land
companies had made speech IN the direc-
tors meeting In London apollElzing he
cause he could only declare n dividend
aud bonus Of II per cent at that time.
and stating that the shareholders must
wages in New Zennad were reduced. The
tenants were charged such high rents that
there was no money In farming. The
small holdings were mortgaged so that the
farm owners paid as much ms the renters,
and in the meantime the most of the
money, was going To England. Times be-
fail on This showed that we must change
the system and we adopted the present
methods TO get back the lands and put
them A. in the the hands Of the people" ..
YES, great many" replied Premier
been recently ana It Is one New w. Hao
land all told about "A, 0O00 900 acres occupied
as farms or ranches. They, are in the
hands of 1000 persons. OF these lo5 own
$4,000 acres or more each. and nearly 400
own between 10000 and 10000 acres each
In all the holdings 81 per cent are under
800 acres and IS per cent are OF leo acres
or less,
I'VE have already spent more thnn a
million pounds buying UP private estates
and throwing them omen to the people,
we nave DONEuI hnout seventy cStulNS nav
ing an area Of something Ike $4,000
acres. The lands are not bought directly
ont OF the government funds, hut the
money for them is raised In England nj 3
per cent interest on long time. The gov
eminent guarantees the payment OF the
notes and this Is also secured by a mo I,
gage on the land. The government charges
per cent to purchasers on long time
leases. II charges per cent on the lease
ded, but ms this Is on the. actual cost
price OF the unlmproved land 1t makes a
very low rental of the money received
per cent goes to the paving OF the In
terest, / per cont pays the expenses of
the administration, etc, and the other l
per. cent Is nut into n sinking fund which
w sysaqGSiiy pay Oh the the purchase notes
! refer. of course. 10 land leased"
"on what conditions are the lands given
/ to settlersT
I'VE have different methods OF division
and payment" replied the premier, The
I people can buy the lands outright OF they
\ can lease them with the purchasing clause,
/ or they can lease them for 900 years. o.
| practically In perpetuity. This is at the
! option of the settler, IL the man wants
7 TO hny for cash he pays onc-fourth of the
I purchase money down and the rest within
I thirty DAYS II he wishes to purchase and
/ has not the money he can lease the land,
/ paying per cent annually on its cost 10
/ twenty five years with The right OF pur.
chase at the arst price D any time after
I ten years. or he cnn lease II on 4 per cent
I OF It's cost Tor $50 years.
/ The government buys the land and aids
! the settler In making his improvements,
advancing the money 10 build his house
and fences, etc. We require the settlers
to live upon the land They must make
{ improvements to the amount OF SIS per acre
I and must cultivate n certain portion of IL.
/ We ind that the people Ike the plan and
( that they are taking advantage OF II. Near
! ~ every estate that we have taken up Is
settled Land which has been used for
I raising sheep Is now raising men. and We
! have a prosperous farming community In
I n score of places which were Formerly oc.
I cupied ny but a few shepherds"
How Estates Are Condemned.
But suppose the mcs who own the es-
sates do not care TO sell. Mr.. seldom. How