"THIRDS."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 235, 27 June 1908, Page 10

"THIRDS."

HO"\V THEIR EXPENDITURE IS TO BE GOVERNED. ■ '- : .. ■> ' When land boai'da, country local bodies, or Crown land tenants speak of •" thirds," tliby mean the third of tho rent payable to the Government by lessees of Crown-lands which under tho Land Act is money'set aside for tho .' first fifteen years of tenancy for '.tho. construction' of. roads through' tho block

so opened for settlement. , It appears that before thoso "thirds" can bo spout in a specific manner tho I consent of 'tlio settlers concerned baa to be gained, which is not oxactly an easy. matter according to Mr. Sidney A. E. Mair, engineer for' Kangitikei, who appeared before tho Land Board on Thursday with a proposal to deal with "thirds" money without such consent. Ho stated that some "thirds" money had heon lying by unused for ten years, and that there Vt'cro patches of roads all over the country of no uso for dray work because there was 110 continuity, a state of things chiefly attributable to tho inability to'gain the written consent of all contributing sottleri. . Mil the course of discussion'.the Commissioner (Mr. Mackenzie) said that-110 had 110 sjmpathv with local bodies who wrangled with individual settlers over roads, and he had 110 intention of allowing local bodies a free hand with the "thirds.". TJp in the north, thero irerc some thousands of Crown land settlers, and ho could count on his fingers the names of thoso. who disputed tho matter—they were the sort of peoplo who would dispute anything. What ho would suggest was that tho local body should make recommendations to him, which after consideration would bo forwarded to the district 'officci - , who had a local knowledge; and what he (the Commissioner) and that officer recommended would be placed before the Board. Ho assumed, that tho local body was looking after tho interests of the settlors on thoir part, as ho would be ( doing on behalf of tho Crown. . ~