DOMINION LAND LAWS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1446, 22 May 1912, Page 5

DOMINION LAND LAWS.

9 SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE THEM. (By Telezrapb-Snocial Correspondent.) Christchurch, May 21. Mr. John M'Auley, who has boon for somo lime a member of the Canterbury Land Board, has had the opportunity of examining tlio operations of tile land laws of the Dominion from both siiles.' Ho has been an applicant for sections on many occasions, and he has been ono of the body to which arc delegated the powers of carrying out (ho ballot.? for sections, and of administering the laws. Speaking to a reporter on Saturday, ho said that the consolidation of the laivs under which-Hie land boards worked could bo made possible after a brief conference between the Minister for 'Lands and tlio boards which had been administering fho laws. At present tlio boards had, in many cases, to do things which they did not wish to do. The laws were infiexiblo and at times worked injustices. Although it. was know that there were many people requiring land, Mr. M'Auley said that it should not be thought that people would take up any sections. Pastoral land was always in keen demand if it was good in quality, but agricultural land ■usually did not attract so many applicants. It was time that steps were taken to put those holding sections of Crown land on the same footing in Tegard to ballots as those who had freehold lands. When a man went iii for a. ballot ho should not be debarred because lie held a section, although, when a man won a ballot, lie-should, of course, dispose of his previous holding. Thero was no good reason for the restriction, and, when a man had improved his position on a. section, he should be enabled to go in for another without having to reader himself landless. Opening up another question, Mr. M'Auley said that great mistakes woro often made in the subdivision of land owing to the centralisation,of the work. Recently, at Winchester, a block of land bad been subdivided incorrectly. The section was divided in two parfs by a road. Oil the one side there was good loud, and. on tlie other, poorer land. Instead of carrying out the recommendations of the district surveyor, and dividing the section into lots containing good and poor land, the head office had cut up the land into some sections that were all good, and others that were all poor. ■ The rentals varied from 1-ls. to 355., and the result was that the poor sections had hung lire. Had the first subdivision been adopted, the range in the rentals would not have been more than n few shillings. Tf would be much better if the subdivisions were carried out under (lie direct supervision of the local boards. "Considerable inconvenient-" is c.iu-ed In- the necessity of deposits." he added. When applications are made each applicant. puts in a. worked cheque. and. where there are about, .Wl people in for a ballnl, there is a considerable, amount, of wnrk entailed. The chenues are of liH.io value, and it would bs ;M«t. a- .rood If lh» rlTO'it w»r« tak«n only from tlxe successful appliwnla in tke ballot*