SETTLERS IN SORROW.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1043, 4 February 1911, Page 7

SETTLERS IN SORROW.

APPEAL TO LAND BOARD. THE ILLUSION OF THE KAITIEKE. "LET DOWN BADLY." Members of the Wellington Land Board recently made a tour of tho settlements in tho ICaiticki, Retaruko, and ltuatiti Blocks, which districts may bo truly described as tho back-blocks, situated as they are in the extreme north of the Wellington land district. The result of their observations in tlieso localities, and more especially in tho Kaiticko district, formed tlio subject of an important discussion at a meeting of tho board which was held ■ yesterday, when thero were present:: The Crown Lands Commissioner (Mr. Jas. Mackenzie), and Messrs. J. Dawson, W. M'Lennan, H. T. Ellinghani, and J. Georgetti. Mr. Ellinghani, who introduced the discussion, said the . results of the tour would certainly bo to tho advantago of the board, which had como into closo t.Dueh with the Crown tenants in these outlying districts, and dono much to gain their confidence. The settlers were a lino type, taken on tlio whole, but thoro was no doubt that they had been disappointed in the quality of the land, ajid had been badly let clowtn in consequence. Tho carrying capacity of tho land in question would bo about 1} sheep to tlio acre, and it would be quito threo years before the sottlcrs could look for any return on the capital they had sunk in their holdings. Tho valuation of the land, he considered, was about 50 per cent too high, and these settlers were paying from £80 to £100 a year ill rent, fliey had gone in with- from £400 to £500 capital, which was eaten up in rent and expenses of improvement. Tho end' of this state of affairs would bo that tley would be unablo to carry on, and would liavo to go out.

Hofp from tho State. Relief, he continued, was wanted from the State, and he thought that a measure of relief would.be conceded if these holdings were brought under tho Bush and Swamp Act,- which allowed settlers the initial years of development,- rent free. Another, handicap to them was the lack of roads. Tliis should be put right, and as soon as possible. Too much money had 'been spent on six-foot tracks. Settlers in his district had had twenty years of that sort of thing, and were tired of it. So fur as the Advances to Settlers' Department was concerned, Mr. Ellingbam considered that tho. land in question had been overvalued by something like 30s. per aero. Tho bridges were inadequate, and he was of opinion that tho Dawson typo of bridge, which had stood tho test of time, and provided an inexpensive means of giving facilities for tbinsit, should bo used. Another handicap to tho development of these holdings was the prevalence of "pukau," which interfered with the' growth of the grass. Mr. Dawson said that the grass problem had provided an unexpected difficulty in the development of the land. Ho agreed that the settlers should be given, some measure of relief, in the shape of. an extension of timo wherein, to make good on this difficult land. Ho complimented the Commissioner on his stand against . the .. speculative . land; holder. Tho genuine wltlei, he siiirl) wns, in cyery sense, a benefactor to 'the country. ; .Tho problem they had to salvo was hoiy to help the .stranded <i r rtes'").oVid;iman liad lost, '.'£10,00,; and was."up against h." '

Settlers Deceivotl. Mr. Georgetti agreed with Mr. Ellingliam that the Kaitieke Block should ho gazetted under tlio ■ Bush and Swamps Act. He had said so before, tind his previous contention had now been endorsed by tho board's recent experience in that locality. Ho congratulated tho board upon its active erusado against tho speculators, who got sections and never improved them. They should be '.'fired out." There was no doubt, he said, that tho settlers oil tho Kaitieke had been completely. deceived in tho. land, rfhieli was infested with "pukau." Yet' . these settlers were practical men with capital from £<100 tc £2000. Even the bc-st judges of land would have been deceived. Whcn'n settler arrived at a stage when lie had to borrow for rent, tho end of that man was not far off. Tho board should do something. Co.uld it not waive the rent in tho meantime? . The Commissioner: The board lias no powers at tho present moment. Jlr. Georgetti: The boi'.rd lias power to waive olie year's' rent. The' Commissioner: In tho event of a calamity—floods, hush fires, . and ,so forth. There .is no precedent for relief in tho present instance. The Commissioner's Reply. Tho Commissioner, in reply, said that it had to bo remembered that the board was there to administer' tho law, not to make laws. T'hero was no doubt that a groat deal of tho land in tho districts mentioned had been somewhat disappointing, from tho fqcfc that the settlers had not quite grasped the proper treatment of this particular land when grassing. Some of the settlers there, who had been in tho block for some, years, and had no doubt profited by tho experience of their early failures, had. got their, holdings into a .very decent state. Deferring to the question of roads, these, ho remarked, wero further advanced, comparatively speaking, than those in other districts. Tho settlers, generally speaking, were experiencing tho difficulties usually associated with pioneering in tho back-blocks. It was too early at the present stage to make any definite prbnouncement as to the best means of alleviating tho. special hardships of tho .settlers in tho districts in question. They did not want to create awkward precedents in devis,ing some scheme of relief. He would go carefully into the matter, sco what was best to be done, and • refer the question to tho authorities. Tho board had no power to apply the provisions of tho Bush and Swamps .Act, and though it had power to waive rent, that power had not yet been applied to cases such as those they had been discussing, further action would therefore be deferred till tho board met again.