STATE LAND PURCHASE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 995, 9 December 1910, Page 5

STATE LAND PURCHASE.

CIVIL SERVANTS' DEALINGS, ■ ~ By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright. Melbourne, December 8. The commission appointed to inquira into the circumstances surrounding the purchase-of land in the Cohuna distriA by the Closer Settlement Board oxamincd Mr. Elwood Mead, chairman of the Water Supply Commission. Mr. Mead said he recommended the Government to purchase the land at Cohuna. Prior to this, and before anything had been done by the Government towards securing land in the district, ho consulted with Mr. Anderson, an engineer in the employ of the W T ater Commission, and.' a farmer named Kemp, and suggested that they should buy tho block. He then left on his trip to Europe, telling the others that if they did buy the block he would like a farm out of it. He made no secret of the matter. He wanted part of the land for two friends in America and the rest for himself, in order to demonstrate the value of irrigation. The witness admitted that it was'not desirable that an officer of the State should traffic in land. He advised Mr. Anderson to purchase the land, because he wished to got farmers antagonistic to irrigation out of' the district. He was not aware then that Mr. Anderson was connected with tho sale.of land to the Government. Mr. Brown, Attorney-General, examined, stated that, as the result of inquiries, ho found that Mr. Anderson had bought tho land as an investment, but that it was not proposed to extend irrigation to the district. He did not know that Mr. Mead was interested in the land. A letter from Mr. Mead to Mr. Anderson, dated Marcii last, was read, informing him that the Settlement Board had decided to make a, call for lands at'cV huna, which the board had previously declined, and advising Mr. Anderson to offer his land to the board. •