"THE BLESSINGS OF THE LEASEHOLD."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 619, 23 September 1909, Page 7

"THE BLESSINGS OF THE LEASEHOLD."

'SOME SIDELIGHTS ON TEEM. ,: .'.IDj TelccrapU-SDOcJal ; CorfMDooOonU / ' '/'/ ~;/,;■ Wanganui,''September 22. ' ,- Astrange light was shed on tho alleged bless■ing3 of the:leasehold by. a deputation which /waited on the Aotea'Maori Land Board Yesterday.' '■*•■'.-■- .;..-;. ■ :■■■■■ '. . J - .. Mr.'E/A. Campbell, one of tho deputation, to the board that most' of-those who had' taken up ■ land all 'over the Dominion <on the leasehold tenure wero men of small or moderate-means, and, in many cases, they had been led to believe that; when they made a certain, amount of improvements, they would bo able to borrow from the Government up to halt tho value of the improvements made. That had not .been the case, however. -A few. lessees had obtained •■ loans, but the ; : great majority had not, and it was no exaggeration to say that there were standing, in the bush to-day, thousands of acres which would havo been cleared .and etooked if settlors could havo been financed Mr. Campbell pointed out that there was no institution or individual ■; at tho present -time who would lend'money upon theso leases. It .was true that, the Government had lately decided to lend on'those lands,, but such a strain was, being put upon .the Government from one end of- the country to the other that it was almost, impossible to'get money from the Department—in fact, even supposing that the Government' were .doing-.their best, they could never /overtake" tho, demands , made on., them. Tho consequence,was that somo of the settlers would-not.be able, to hold to-their leases' unless.they got some relief. Mr. Campbell 'suggested that the.i,otoa Land Board should make representations to the Government that, as . freeholders can borrow from any individual or institution, yet Government leaseholders.should get preforenco over freeholders so far as Government loans wero concerned. Mr. Campboll also suggested thnfc as the Government wero buying thousands, of acres from Natives and paying them largo, sums of. money (which tho Natives merely squandered), two-thirds of this' money should bo put in the hands of some one, say-j tho Public Trustee, and lent upon these Native'leases. ~.,, ■', .'■•■■-. ' Judge Fisher, in the course of his reply, said that there was: a difficulty in.rcgard to Mr. Campbell's: second suggestion, as it was .'questionable whether tho Govcrnmont could, as trustees, lend'oh tho security "of their own property, 'unless it was decided by law that they could ndvauco'money upon tho improvements belonging to .the tenants and not to the trustees.: '. ; : - .'. : / '.-.'"■',' "■'' \ ■