The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-03-22
LAND SYSTEM OF
NEW ZEALANDERS

have grown up through the past half
century which prevent our adopting
such radical measures. We had here,
up until 1876, sort of federation of
states. Each state controlled it's own
public lands and its own railways. AS
the various Governments wanted money
they sold their land, and that IN large
tract at prices which were ridiculously
/ low. Much of them were bought by
absentee capitalists at ten shillings or
whereabouts per acre. That land is now
worth $50 an acre. Other men bought
tracts OF 10000 acres. 80 600 acres. and
some of 100000 acres. This land they
held, lying back and waiting for 1t to
! increase in value. In some cases they
used it for grazing sheep. with perhaps
half a dozen shepherds on a principalit"
which should support several thousand
farmers.
AT that time" Premier Seldom went
on, there seemed a craze for large
farms. The small holders were bought
out by these large ones. Corporations
were formed in England to get control
of the New Zealand lands.
THE lands We're managed for syndi
Gates and the tenants We're squeezed in
every possible way to increase the div-
serted that the manager of one of these
absentee land companies had made a
speech in the directors meeting in Lon
don apologizing because he could only
declare a dividend and bonus of Is per
cent at that time and stating that the
shareholder must not look for higher
dividends until the wages in New Yea
land were reduced. The tenants were
oh oh 70 hat hpr q
no money in farming. The small hold
ings were mortgaged so that the farm
owners paid as much as the renters,
and in the meantime the most OF the
money was going to England. Times
became hard and our population began
to fall off. This showed us that we
must change the system, and we adopt
ed the present methods to get back the
lands and put them in the hands of the
people,"
Are there many large farms left?"
Yes, a great many" replied Premier
Seldom. you see. our new system has
been recently adopted and it is one
which is necessarily slow. We have in
New Zealand all told about $4,000, 900
acres occupied as farms or ranches.
They are in the hands of 81, 900 persons.
OF these, 105 own $4,000 acres or more
each, and nearly 400 own between 10000
and $4,000 acres each. In all the hold
ings SO per cent are under 800 acres and
5S per cent are of 100 acres or less,
LAND PURCHASES.
I'VE have already spent more than
million pounds buying up private es-
tates and throwing them open to the
people. We have bought about seventy
estates having an area of something
like 325,O0 acres, The lands are not
bought directly out of the Government
funds, but the money for them is raised
in England at per cent interest on
long time. The Government guarantees
the payment of the notes and this is
also secured by mortgage on the land.
The Government charges 4 per cent to
purchasers on long time leases. 1t
charges per cent on the lease with the
advances for Improvement added, but
as this Is on the actual cost price of
the unimproved land, 1t makes a very
low rental. OF the money received 3
per cent goes to the paying of the in
terest, per cent pays the expenses Of
the administration, etc, and the other
1 per cent Is put into sinking fund
which will eventually pay off the pur-
chase notes and vest the land in the
Government. I refer, of course, to land
leased"
ION what conditions are the lands
given to settlers?"
I'VE have different methods of divi-
sion and payment" replied the Premier.
1.-THE people can buy the lands outright
or they can lease them with the pur-
chasing clause, or they can lease them
for 800 years, or practically In perpetu-
ity, This Is at the option OF the set
tier. If the man wants to buy for cash
he pays one-fourth of the purchase
money down and the rest within thirty
days. If he wishes to purchase and
has not the money he can lease the
land paying per cent annually on its
cost to the Government. Such lease
runs for twenty-five years, with the
right of purchase at the first price at
any time after ten years, or he can
lease 1t on 4 per cent of its cost for 999
years.
THE Government buys the land and
aids the. settler in making improve
ments, advancing the money to 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 and must Guilt
vate certain portion OF It. We find
that the people like the plan and that
they are taking ADVANTAGE of 1t. Near
ly every estate that we lave taken IN
is settled. Land which has been used
for raising shep is now raising men and
we have a prosperous farming COM
munlty in score OF places which were
formerly occupied by but few shep-
herds"
HOW ESTATES ARE CONDEMNED.
but suppose the men who own the
estates do not care to sell, Mr.. Sed-
don. How does - Government do In
such a case?"
THAT is a very easy matter" replied
the Premier OF New Zealand. I'VE fix
the value OF the land and take II, pay
ing the man for II In bonds or cash
as he deaIras -