Science in Public Affairs 



the wasteful disposal of large tracts of land in the 

 past, and for the last twelve years the Government 

 have been engaged in repurchase for the purpose 

 of closer settlement. They have taken to them- 

 selves compulsory powers, but in the majority of 

 cases they have been able to secure the properties 

 that they desired by the ordinary process of 

 negotiation. A sum of nearly 3,000,000 has been 

 expended in this manner, and it is claimed in the 

 latest report that the policy has been successful in 

 promoting the welfare of the individual and of 

 the colony. But it soon became apparent that 

 the best class of settlers was not necessarily in 

 possession of independent means. If they were 

 already on the land, they were struggling under 

 the burden of high rates of interest and the heavy 

 legal expenses of mortgages ; if they sought to go 

 on the land, they would find it hard to pay their 

 way until the returns began to come in. To meet 

 these difficulties, the Government Advances to 

 Settlers Act was passed in 1894, which provided 

 for advances to settlers at a low rate of interest 

 upon a fixed proportion of the improvements 

 carried out on their properties which were of a 

 marketable value. Under this Act 12,536 persons 

 have received .4,000,000, and the value of the 

 security for the advances is estimated at more than 

 double that amount. 



This necessarily superficial description 1 of the 



1 Cf. Reeves, " State Experiments in Australia and New 

 Zealand," vol. i., chap. vi. ; Walker, " Australasian Democracy," 

 chap. iv. ; " The Land Policy of New Zealand." 



148 



