CHAPTER XII 



OPENING UP THE LAND TO SETTLEMENT 



The Australian states and New Zealand suffered 

 from oppressive monopolies of various kinds, in- 

 cluding land, money, and steamships. Tracts of 

 75,000 acres of fine land, occupied by a population 

 of a half-dozen families, were not uncommon. In 

 1891 nearly 18,000,000 acres of land were held by 

 1,615 people, while 100,000 people occupied less than 

 300,000 acres. In 1898 21,000,000 acres out of 

 34,000,000 were held in tracts of 5,000 acres or 

 more. Much of this land had been dishonestly 

 acquired. Tenancy was developing of as bad a 

 sort as in the mother country. ^ Of those who oc- 

 cupied their own land 50 per cent, were mortgaged 

 so heavily that their interest payments amounted 

 to a rack-rent. On the other hand, the state-built 

 railroads increased greatly the value of some of the 

 large tracts that had been bought for a small sum 

 in the early days of the colony. Rail-lines were 

 sometimes built just to bring the produce of a single 

 big sheep-raiser to market. Public improvements 



1 Newest England, Henry D. Lloyd, 126-133. 

 128 



