102 A COLONY IN THE MAKING chap. 



That once a grant has been made it should be com- 

 pletely negotiable, and that as far as Europeans or 

 Americans are concerned there should be no restric- 

 tions either on seller or buyer. 



That there should be a large increase of surveyors, and 

 that the system of rapid allotment should be employed 

 as far and as fast as possible with a view to settling 

 up the whole habitable portion of the Highlands. 



These, as far as one can judge both from hearing 

 set speeches and informal conversations, form the basis 

 of a system which would be generally acceptable. A 

 by no means negligible minority would perhaps be 

 opposed to large grants in any shape or form. The 

 reason of this opposition I take to be the scant measure 

 of progress or development undertaken by two large 

 companies already in existence. No one wishes to 

 defend the companies in question, and indeed it has 

 always been felt to have been a curious if not an extra- 

 ordinary thing that a Government which always set 

 itself against any but the minimum grants and turned 

 away many thousands of pounds of capital which 

 would have come into the country with a slight 

 elasticity of the regulations, should have given away 

 1,000 square miles of splendid land with most inade- 

 quate security for any reasonable development. At the 

 same time, I believe that a majority do not wish 

 to banish entirely the goose, but rather to make 

 certain that she shall lay a satisfactory supply of 

 golden eggs. 



I hope that nothing said in this chapter will be 

 taken as a reflection on the present land officer or his 

 staff. Indeed, I cannot express too highly the 

 admiration with which the sincerity, ability, and 

 patience exercised by them have always filled me. 



