A NEW CONTROL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1113, 28 April 1911, Page 5

A NEW CONTROL.

EDUCATION ENDOWMENTS. ADMINISTERED BY LAND BOAEDS. Under the Education Act Amendment Act of 1910 the Land Boards assumed control of tho education reserves. At tho meeting of the Wellington Land Board yesterday, the Commissioner for Crown Lands (Mr. J. Mackenzie) remarked that it was the first occasion under the new regime that the board would bo called upon to transact the business of the education reserves. Up to tho present tho School Commissioners had had charge in the respective districts. The total area of tho reserves, which have been ■ added by the new arrangement to the land already under the control of tho Wellington Land Board, was 108,151 acres, of which 107,431 acres are held by 491 tenants, the annual rental return being .£11,539. Tho Commissioner thought it fitting that mention should be made on this occasion of the successful manner in. which, so far as this district was concerned, tho School Commissioners had carried out their trust. The Commissioners had been created as a bof!y in 1877. There were several men it might be right and lilting to mention on this occasion—names which were notably connected with the history of tho administration of the reserves. Ho referred especially to Sir William Fox, tho Hon. John Brice, the Hon. John Ballance, and Mr. Holdsworth (formerly Commissioner of Crown Lands). At the last meeting of the School Commissioners many interesting instances wore recalled of the experiences of the early days. One recollection in particular was rather a striking object lesson. Forty years ago, he (the Commissioner) formed one of a party of young .surveyors who were surveying the Parekaretu Block, of which Huntevville is tho centre. One section thoy had turned into an education reserve. There was a good deal of trouble experienced in getting oven M a year for it. The same reserve camo before him recently at a meeting and it was now bringing over JEBOO a year! This made one think that notwithstanding all the different tenures and how they may operate in tho interest of the Dominion, here was one which was purely leasehold and which seemed to be a great benefit to the State, whatever may be said of its benefit to the individual.

The change that had come about in the administration of the reserves had been more the result of a general feeling that all State lands should be under the control of some one general authority. He ■had noticed the feeling here, and in other districts he had been in. The Land Board in each district eeomed to be the most suitable authority to cxerciso that general control. Members of the board, he proceeded,' must remember that in everything they do there was this very marked difference between the ordinary Crown land and the educational endowments— that m the former the benefit of settlement was the aim in view—in the latter, the object was to get the best revenue for tho trust, combined with tho promotion of settlement with limited rcsfrfotions. Broadly speaking, the reserves had been set aside to help the education system, and they wore not administered with the- same restrictions with respect to improvements as Crown lands, while also ther got more revenue from them. In tlie case of the Crown land they looked first of all for settlement. They could not press for improvements on education leases, or even for "residence," in tho same manner as in thft case of Crown lands. He had thought it fitting, before they took up their new duties, just to say these few words.