SALES OF CROWN LANDS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1970, 15 October 1888, Page 3

SALES OF CROWN LANDS.

Ukder the heading " How-notto-do-it," we the other day animadverted upon the idiotic manner m which tho Crown Lands Department go to work when

they hare land to offer to' the public. Fenny wisdom, and pound foolishness is the order of the day, and rather than spend a pound m securing publicity the Department throws away hundreds. This sort of thing goes on not m the South Island alone, but all over tho colony. This, for instance, is what the Wellington " Evoning Prepa " has to fl&y about it. "In our Pahiatua correspondent's letter will bo found a complaint as to tho want of practical publicity given to the sale of Crown lands, and the meagre and even misleading nature 'of the ' information supplied to the public. Our correspondent sonds ua a typical plan, lithographed at tho Survey Office, August

1888. On this plan it is stated that on and after the 16th October next certain 2nd class lands of the W&ihoki-Makoura Block will be open for sale or selection at 10s an acre. The only reforence from this notification to the plan is to Blocks VIII and Xil, Pukotoi, and blockß V. and IX, Aohanga. By tho plan the Blocks VIII. and V. are not defined at all, except on the southern boundary, while Blocks VII. and IX are cut up into various sections. 1 here is nothing on the plan to show whether these sections are to be sold separately or what their acreage is. I hero is no doubt that our correspondent's complaint as to tho great practical difficulty m getting information as to these bush lands is well grounded, and tbe result is that tho best lands generally fall into the hands of some 'knowing' man who has

' spotted ' them. Pome years ago a transaction of this kind occurred m tho game district as that m which the blocks now offered lie, and it led to a general belief that a sale had been got up by the Land Board of various lands, dotted $bout m different places so as to ■make a coyer for tho sale of a large and valuable block of 5000 acres %o one individual. There can bo no question j whatever that the course taken by tho Land Board m disposing of Grown Lands is almost tho reverse of that

taken by an auctioneer of prirato lands. Wo have only to contrast Mr T. Kennedy Macdonald's process and that of the Land Board. But then Mr Macdonald's object is to cut up and sell his client's lands to the best advantage, and to do this be not only consults the interest of the possible buyers, but gives the widest publicity and the cornplctost

information, and, qs a result, obtains

large competition und the confidence of seller and buyer, go great i» the con-

trast between the proceedings of Mr Mac.donald ancltboso of tho Land Board

that it is not surprising that the public should come to believe that the last

thing the Board wishes is publicity or competition, and to luok with suspicion upon all thej do. It ie not a question .of cost. Mr Macdonald would soil all the public lands m tho colony on a commission of '$& per ponjbj wjioroas tho land administration of this colony shows a charge on the year's land sales of 17£ per cent for tho Land Board machinery only, with a further ohargo on the year's land sales of GO per cent j for tho Survey Department."