HAUTOTARA ESTATE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 554, 8 July 1909, Page 6

HAUTOTARA ESTATE.

REQUEST FOR ITS ACQUISITION. HON. D. BUDDO ON LAND SETTLEMENT. A deputation of residonts of the Martinborough district waited upon tho ActingMinister for. Lands (Hon. D. Buddo) yesterday to urgo tho Govornment acquisition of tho Hautotara Estate, which contains about 17,000 acres, and is situated about four miles from Martinborough township. , Mr. W. C. Buchanan, M.P., in introducing tho deputation, said that ho did not suppose that there was another inland .town in Now Zealand which had mado greater strides during tho past few years than Martinborough. Thoro was now a road through tho estate, which would, to a great extent, reduce tho cost of reading. Recently tho estate was placed under offer to tho Government by the ownor (Mr. C. Harris) at £7 per acre, but it was declined, owing, it was understood, to tho fact that tho price sought was too high. The deputation was not present to ask the Government to boy the estate at the price at which it was offored. What. wns desired was that tho Government should send its best valuers to carefully inspect the estate, with a view to its acquisition, if tho price ngrced upon justified that course being adopted. As tho Minister was well aware, it was one thing to value nn estate of that siao for taxation purposes, and quite another thing to value it with a viow to purchase. Ho thought that it was ,only reasonable to ask the Government to value the estate from the pruchasing point of view. When tho Govornment had arrived at their estimate of value, they should bo urged te approach the proprietor wit3i a viow to business. Prior to tho departure of the, Prime Minister ho. had handed to him a large petition on the subject. Subsequently, ho had ascertained that tho Government had decided not to consider I the proposal owing to tho big difierenco boi tween the rateable valuo and tho price sought. The deputation was not aware of tho rateable value of the property owing to the fact that part of it was freehold, and part leasehold. What they would urgo was that the Govornment should not miss the opportunity to purchase tho property if it could be got at a reasonable figure An offer tad, it was understood, already been mado to the owner by a syndicate. Mr. M. Rossy chairman , of the Martinborough Town Board, mentioned that part of the estate ,in question adjoined tho Dyer Settlement.' For the goodwill of a number of sections on the property large prices had boon given. Peoplo in tho district did not think that tho price sought by the. owner was much too high. Thev would bo only too,glad to see it taken at that figure. And it was a pity that the Government bad refused te | acquiro itr— ' | The Minister:. The Government did not do that. It merely replied that it could not consider the offer owing to tho difference between tho rateable value and the price sought. > Mr. Ross went on te say that he believed that the owner might be willing te give way to a certain extent. It was thought that it would be better for the Government to secure the property than to allow it to pass into private hands. Mr,. A. M'Leod thought that it was rather unique for a deputation to urge the Government to purchase an view of tho interest which it had taken' in the settlement of the land. They had much te thank the Govornment for what it had already done in their district. The last estate which had been acquired in their district was a complete success. He fett that tho Government had confidence that they would not urgo it to buy an estate which was not ■north acquiring, and there was reason te bolievo that tho owner would make the arrangements about tho purchase money as easy ae possftlo. Ho would remind the Minister that the aggregation of large estates was still going on, and it would, he thought, ho a reproach on a Liberal— -ct should.he say Socialistic?— Government if it allowed a syndicate to aeenre tho estate. Ho could.safely say that thero were hundreds of people in the Wairarapa looking for land. Then again, ho might"" mention that, owing te improvements whioh had been made in tho township, of Martinborough, the.rates were now so nigh that, if the population did not increase, it was possible that there might be a great exodus. If a railroad (which it'was proposed should be built in tho district) were constructed, it would bo found that tho estate (if closely settled) would be a much greater feeder than a sheep Tun. Mr. Buchanan, in the course of a few, additional remarks, said thai the Martinborough district was second to none in the Dominion in point-of productiveness. It might not be known to the Minister that the three railway stations in the district—Featherston, Carterton, and Masterton—put through moio than any other seven country stations in Now Zealand. Somo years ago tho Government had declined to buy an estate there for £7 10s. per acre, and yet long ago it had been sold at tho rate of £12 10s. per acre. He would say advisedly that some parts of the Hautotara block were of better quality than tho estate to which he,had just referred. Of the total estate there were some 2000 ( aon»'.which were ploughable. Mr. Aitcheson endorsed the remarks of tho other speakers. Dnring further discussion Mr. M'Leod remarked that no doubt if the Government acquired the estate it would cost a lot of money. Mr. Buddo:.And we will bo taunted with wild and extravagant expenditure in the House. Mr. Buchanan: The Opposition have never objected to the expenditure of mdney in regard to the settlement of the land. " Tho Minister, in reply, stated that he did not look upon the deputation as one which would in any way mislead tho Govornment. If there was one thing more than another to which,tho Government could lay claim it was an "honest desire, to havo the lands of the Dominion settled—and settled in small areas. Ho would draw the attention of the deputation to. the extraordinary expansion of land settlement undor the Government. No less, a sum* than six millions had been spent in that directioH. Tho popularity of the landsettlement system was contributed to by tho fact that the Land Purchase Department confined its recommendations to land which was easily accessible by road or rail. Henco settlors wore more readily attracted to the lands because they knew that they would be able to get their produce to market at comparatively small cost. Land which was not easily accessible frequently had to bo advertised time npon time. The small settler with tho capital at his command could not afford to ; settle in. the,back-blocks jowing to theicost of transit of his requirements and his produce. He now came to the question whether tho Hautotara Estate would bo a desirable acquisition. Tho fact that it was principally grazing land was against it. Ono must boar in mind that there were largo areas of Crown lands, somewhat remote it was true, lying idle at the present time. These, lands were being offered by the-Lands Department, but were not being taken up. Pressure should not be brought to bear on the acquisition of what was purely pastoral "land until the land he had mentioned was taken up for grazing purposes. He was not laying that down as a guide to the Land Purchase Board. What they recommended he would not be adverse to. He would prefer to have seen the deputation advocating the acquisition of a property that contained at least 50 percent, of farming land. The Wairarapa had not been forgotten in-connection'with the.five or six miUionsythat had ; been expended v under the Government , s land settlement scheme. Not long ago the Carringtoii Estate, near Martinborongh, had been acquired, and it had gono off like hot cakes. If the Haiitotafa Estate were acquired and subdivided he had no doubt that it would be all taken up. The question was: Would it take a sufficiont % number of settlers to warrant the Government in acquiring it? No settlement, could be made a success if the rents were too high, for, in order/.to pay an excessive rent, tie settler had to rob the land. The land as well as the settler ultimately suffered when the rent wns burdensome. Hβ described as "extraordinary" tho difference between the rateable value of the property, and the price sought bv tho owner. In conclusion, Mr. Buddo said that he was prepared to recommend "the Land Purchase Commissioners to make a careful valuation of the property and submit a report. When that came to naad,

he would givo his reply. Hβ was as interosted as the deputation in seeing that a desirable property was acquired if the price was reasonable. "I low feel to Borne extent reassured," he added, "that the question of land settlement is not going to be forgotten in future."

Before the deputation ftithdrew, Mr. Buchanan pointed out to the Minister that there were, within easy distance of Martinborough, large blocks of Crown land and of Native land. As member for the district, it had been-hit'duty to urge the expenditure of the vote of £1600 passed last year to givo settlers in. that locality an outlet to their port of. shipment.' In. reply, the Minister for Roads and Bridges had stated that such a largo sum could not be spent for tie benefit of only, three settlers. Besides (he was further informed) the proposed road would pass through an estate which the Government might, later on, be asked to purchase'at an enhanced figuTe. The local body, which said that it was not responsible for the vote having been placed on tho Estimates, then declared that, if the Government contributed ualf tho amount, it would provido the bal* ance. One of tho blocks of Crown lands to which he roferred was reserved as a door forest. It was, in fact, largely bold as such m tho interests'of the gtobo-trottors. Mr. Buddo-: The-land is-too high for tbo pnrposo of being opened up; ■ ' Mr.; Buchanan replied that thoro was at present a contract undor way for tho felling of 1000 acres of bush on country similar W that to which ho was referring. His ostimate was that it would carry ■ a ehoop and a quarter to tho acre. During tho present period of stress the Government should givo as much employment as possible. ,Tlioro would bo no difficulty in gotting settlors to take, up tho land at onco. Of tho Native land in the locality, a considerable portion was suitablo for carrying ehoop. Ho would commend the land to tho notice of' tho Minister. •'

Mr. M'Leod mentioned that tho residents could hear out all that Mr. Buchanan had stated.

The Minister replied that be understood that the land, to which rofcrenco hnd been made, was vorv high country. Thoro-were other Crown lands much more accessible. He 'could not promiso that tho Department would, at tho present time, consider any proposal to alienate land which had been set apart for sccnio purposes or for water conservation, when otnor lands) which were more easily roaded and bridged, wore available. • He would, he hoped, be able to pay a visit to the Martinborougb district next year.