[11] Would such a plan not be practicable in Britain?
[12] We would recommend investment in new lands as incomparably superior to investments in savings’ banks, as affording far better security and higher profits, and would urge those who have money in savings’ banks to withdraw it, and purchase shares in the Scots New Zealand Land Company. The effect of a proper system of colonization and the exclusion of bad subjects, has been recently exemplified in Russia. A number of working small capitalists, solicited and received the grant of a desolate hilly portion of country from the Emperor. They divided this into portions of about 60 acres of tillage land, with a suitable portion of hill pasture to each family, allowing no one to enter the community, unless he possessed a certain capital, and totally excluding lawyers and priests. The success has been great beyond all precedent. No quarrels, high morality, industry, economy,—the country cultivated like a garden,—plenty to all.
[13] Certificates are forthcoming and favourable in proportion to the worthlessness of the subject. The friends are active in procuring the necessary certificates of character to those they are ashamed of, and wish at the antipodes.
[14] The proper means to prevent settlers from seizing upon more land than they can put to good use, and taking up too wide an arrangement, is not a high price upon fresh lands (which is merely to suck out the life’s-blood of the colonist just as he is about to commence the arduous combat), but a low land tax per acre, rated permanently to three or more class qualities of soil. This is the only genuine tax,—should be the only tax, and made available to the whole government of the colony. Instead of repressing industry as other taxes necessarily do (those on pernicious luxuries excepted), this tax would even benefit the payer by stimulating him to improve his lands, and thus render them of higher quality, while their class rating for taxation remained unchanged.
[15] In conjunction with the Scots New Zealand Land Company, it is intended to establish a New Zealand Whale Fishing Company, having a domicile at one or more of the maritime stations of the Land Company, at which the families of those engaged in the fishing will reside, and where the oil will be prepared for export. This will be mutually beneficial in a high degree. The fisheries will draw in a great revenue to the colony for exported oil, and those engaged in them will constitute the best of customers for the fine produce of the land. The families and shore-establishment of the Whale Company will be sheltered by the Land Company during the time their own strength may be absent in the fishery; while, should any thing serious be apprehended to the Land Company, the assistance of the daring and formidable crews of harpooners, who will be absent only on short voyages, will soon be forthcoming. They will indeed constitute a most formidable defensive force; and, instead of being a great cost and population-check, a consuming evil and source of decay, like the armies of Europe, they will be the source of wealth, and population, and power.
PATRICK MATTHEW, Chairman.
Transcriber’s Notes:
The full title of this document is Prospectus of the Scots New Zealand Land Company, and the author is Patrick Matthew.
Footnotes have been moved to the end of the text and relabeled consecutively through the document.