LAND SETTLEMENT

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 443, 27 February 1909, Page 5

LAND SETTLEMENT

, A CHELTENHAM PROPERTY. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. | POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT. A deputation from tie Cheltenham district, introduced by Mr. Guthrie, M.P., waited upon the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) yesterday afternoon, to ask that Mr. Riddiford's property of 1700 acres, near the Cheltenham Dairy Factory, should be ac- | quired by the Government and cut up for J closer settlement. , "\ -. Mr. Guthrie said that the.; Cheltenham Dairy Factory was one of the leading and most Buccesßful concerns of tho kind ia the Dominion. It drew its supplies from an area , measuring 25; by 15 miles. Just across tho , .road from the faotory was the Riddiford ■ estate, which would be excellent dairying ' country, divisible into farms of. 25 to 100 \ acres. ■ It was .understood that Mr. Riddi- ;, ford was willing to, sell. '.-'■ ,■ Mr. Orabb handed to the Premier a petition which, he. stated, was signed by "400 people , who desired the estate to be cut up, though many of them did not generally sympathise, with the Government's .land policy.-The present owner employed one manager and a couple of assistants on the land,, which was devoted to fattening bullocks. If out up, it would support.3o families. -.".; <:';■ ■■:■■■■ :.;'■..: '' .-'' ;Mr.' Murray* manager of the _ Cheltenham Dairy_ Company, said the ; Riddiford .estate. would carry, 700 milch cows, equal to the number supplying two of the larg- : est creameries.. ■ :'.'■■'■ Mr. Guthrie said, that Mr. M'Nab. when .Minister for Lands, had stated that the-pro-'perty was particularly .well adapted for close', settlement. ■.-.:.' Sir Joseph Ward's Reply. The Prime Minister said he recognised the importance of : .the. matter to the' district, and he was very anxious to. assist in the cutting up of estates in.- various parts of the Dominion for closer settlement. He waa glad to hear that the estate in question 'was suit- . able for subdivision' into areas of: 25-to 100 'acres, I :.because he was of opinion that- in ■ many . instances estates' should in l future. be divided, into smaller' areas than .had often been the .'case in. the past.-.That /was the direction in which the Government was working, and he was anxious to.see such a policy carried out; The Land Purchase Board had had negotiations with Mr. Riddiford,; and .had not- been able to. agree' with him upon a price .which the aboard could recommend 'to'th'o Government.: He was in favour of the •property being acquired, if it could be got at a fair price, so as to enable! it to be cut up and roaded,- and' the cost; of reading added to. what the settlers' would have -to 'pay. The negotiations between- Mr. Riddiio'rd. and .the board were broken off by the ' instructions of the .'Government,-, and an ihitamation to that effect was -■ sent to Mr. Riddiford. on February 6, ,1906. .The only ; thing he (the' Premier) Could do now was to ask the 'Land Purchase. Board, to re-inspect the estate, and report afresh as to the price should be paid for it.' On receipt.of , such'. a - report; he would bo. glnd'to have 'negotiations again opened up., if Mr. Riddiford was prepared. to sell, at. a -.'fair valua- . -.Won—not' 1 an . : under-yaluation—tho,,_. Govern-. ; meat .'would be quite prepared '.to,-'give effect ■. to -any' recommendation of tho' Land- Piir- . 'chase,Boafd;;' : '• ' "'.,:.;'- ; .''■'•■''.'.■: Amendment of tne Law. , There, was: also the question of compul-,' sory acquisition, whieh.bad to be consid-' : ered. separately..: In this connection a 1 very ; great; deal depended, under, the present; law, t .upon: the owner's'.valuation. It -the. owner 'valued:his property at.an excessive; .'figure, the/Government was to a certain extent do--1 terred from/acquiring it, and he was not. pre-' '■' pared to'say that the law did hot require.to ■he '■ altered:''';Some. land-owners had-, put high. ' : values oh their property, in order-to prevent thVland.for settlement.polioy .being.carried, ; out.'aiid if the. Government' found that ...they, ■ could h'6t,.pbtain land' at,,a, fair, price':'for"sofe ;•' purposes, _• they/ 1 would, be .'.quite, pre- ■' pared.to ask, Parliament to''amend'the,law, ! so '.'as to; ensure that'if; a:fnir price- .was, of - . fered,and, was not. Accepted, the law could ~ be 'put, into 'force to' .enabb' the land to. be '. -bepurchased on a basis, that would bo fair ; to all.". It was;recbgnised;by the bulk-ofthe 1 , people that land settlement must "go on. He ■ ;was. in;ehtire : sympathy with the request of i ;.uhe.: deputation, as he ; recognised that .the v -future.,of.'the; country/'.dopended' largely on . closer,'settlement,.and that'the,dairy/indus-try-should-he: encouraged j n ,-fch e ' interest ■' of .the, whole community.. '....,,,'.;;■;.'., \'i