, 1907-05-09
BRITISH LAW MORE FAVORABLE.

s'NAhN
The Leader calls attention to the
fact that the British land laws are
more favorable than those of the I'm.
tied States, especial reference being
had to the Dominion of Canada, which,
1t says, is taking our population. In
its lack OF wisdom 1t asserts that this
is another good reason why a leasing
system should not be established.
1t must be admitted that our friends
of the British Empire and It's colonial
possessions are extremely liberal In
the management and disposition OF
their public lands. They not only
make 1t possible to secure title with
extreme ease. but they also supple
ment titled holdings with leaseholds.
1t Is made possible for a poor man who
Is unable to secure land through pur-
chase to obtain n footing through a
long term lease on either grazing or
farming lands. We have not the exact
data relating to the Northwest Terri
tory at hand. but understand that the
same general policy prevails there that
prevails in the colonial possessions of
Australia. In Queensland, for illustra.
ton. agricultural farms can be ac-
Quired by a 20 years lease with right
OF purchase; maximum area, 1880
acres; annual rent one-fortieth of the
purchase price, which becomes part of
the purchase money. Grazing farms
can be secured on a IA, 81 or rs years
lease; maximum area 10000 acres; an
nual rental varying according to
quality; minimum one cent per acre,
subject to reassessment ut end of first
years. Grazing homesteads may be
leased on similar conditions. Scrub Sc
lections are lands extensively owe
grown by scrub; margin area, 10000
acres: term, 80 years.; annual rent, one
cent to two cents per acre; no rent be.
ing charged for periods ranging from
uNc W ~ ySals I, put Nv SSiNN'oi iiuSs
clear the scrub and fence. In the let
ting of agricultural and grazing farms
and homesteads conditions as to resi-
dence are imposed.
Both purchasers and lesses are given
possession and there is no friction be.
cause Of contention oyer the range.
Less than ten years ago Queensland
had approximately 26O million acres
under lease-an area four and one-half
times as great as the entire state of
Wyoming.
New Zealand, too, has a lease law
that it would not think of parting with;
in fact, all tho British colonial posses
sions have adopted this exceedingly
equitable way of handling their public
lands, the chief object not being the
raising of revenue for the public treas
uries. but the betterment of the con-
dition of the individual settlers. New
Zealand Is setting aside a large sum
annually for the purchase of estates, in
order that they may be divided into
small holdings and leased to the peo-
pie. To quote Mr.. ]. X. Calkins of the
Cody S~tockgrower and Farmer, who
has made an exhaustive study of the
conditions in New Zealand: zone and
one quarter million dollars are set
aside each year for the purchase of
land to be leased to settlers in tracts
Of not more thar $40 acres, at five per
cent of the valuation for so years, or
four per cent on perpetual lease, no
~revaluation to be made for 999 years.
This land is almost entirely agricul-
tural land. Grazing land is divided in
to larger areas.
Again: The profits of this land
system have been very great n are
constantly growing, besides making it
very easy for the people to own homes.
immigration instead of emigration is
now the rule, and the tide has turned
from the city to the country"
And again: There are still some
lands open to purchase and private
ownership, but the government desires
TO finally acquire all the land and lease
1t to home-makers. These leases are
transferable, and as a man OF limited
means can secure a perpetual lease
with no reappraisal for 999 years, there
is very little land being bought out
right"
AT every election the people place
the stamp of their approval on the lib
eral program by increased majorities.'
In it's desire to bolster up its argu-
ment against a leasing system the
Leader has, unfortunately for itself,
made fiattering illusions to the land
policy OF the British empire, a nation
that has adopted almost universally an
equitable system Of leasing.
GETTING BETTER AT ANY RATE.