THE OHUTU LESSEES AND THE FREEHOLD.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1528, 26 August 1912, Page 6

THE OHUTU LESSEES AND THE FREEHOLD.

Sir,—l have to thank you for your rear port, in this morning's JJoiriKio.v, of the th deputation from the Lessees. Association n- which waited on the Prime Minister yc«y- torday, asking that effect should Le given es to the unanimous recommendation of the a- Native Affairs Committee last year that he our petition to be allowed to acquire the n- freehold of our holdings should bo given n- favourable consideration by the Governn- ment. In view of the importance of this m matter, as affecting the settlement of a :e. very large area of busk land, I should ill bo glad if you would kindly permit me ■e- to explain that the lessees are aware that 10 in dealing with, this question equitable s- treatment to the Natives is essential. The to 'jlaek is vested in tho Aotoa Maori Land to Board, and it lias been, contended that ?r the land is therefore trust land, but it v- must be remembered that this vesting was [1- done at the instigation of the Nativo i)est partmeut, and that no trust has been crea- ated for any specific purpose beyond the ,g payment to the Native owners of the ia rents. Wo proposo that in order to give a the lessees the freehold of their holdings, 1_ the Government should bring in legislait tion giving them power to acquire the lj. block for this purpose, a condition, pre|y tedent being that the consent of a male jority of the assembled Nativo owners Sj should he obtained in tho same manner i- as is now done in respect of other areas | 0 of Maori land which are being acquired 0 by Europeans. We suggest that the price n to be paid should be the present value, ( i less the value of the lessees' interests, J such value. to be ascertained by valuers y appointed by tho Maoris and tho Govom- [. ment respectively. We proposo that a [. debenture for the total price so ascertained should be vested in the Maori Land Board in trust for tho Natives, and that interest thereon should be paid to n the Natives at 5 per cent. The Natives will then obtain a much larger income 3 from the land, as, in agreeing to the present value of the land as a. basis for '■ the purchase, tho lessees will be making ' a considerable concession. A largo area , of tho block is leased at from Gd. to Is. (id. . per acre, and the freehold value to-day '" (thanks mainly, to the lessees) would I" greatly exceed these rents-capitalised at ? 5 per cent. The Natives would also bo * freed from all future contribution tot wards roading. If the lessees can con- '" vert their holdings into freehold, they e will bo in a much better position to raise | money for roading purposes by rating 1 themselves. They -will also be nblo to [■ borrow on their holdings at a reasonable 3 rate to effect further improvements, and 0 tho productivity of the block will thus bo ' greatly increased. The of tho - bush farmer are recognised to be quite - heavy enough, without him being further b penalised by an irksome ■ and harassing f tenure. It must bo remembored that the 1 Natives have already parted with the 3 possession of this land for 42 years, at 5 least, and cannot therefore regain its pps--3 session tor their own uso before the end r of this'period. It is generally nilmitfed r that back-blocks selectors are entitled to ■ the greatest consideration at the hauds of . the State, as they are tho pioneers on i whose industry and expenditure depend ; in a large measure the production and [ prosperity of the Dominion, and tho i lessees look confidently to the Government . for relief from a tenure which must in [ time reproduce in this country a system ■ which in Ireland produced the Land , 'League and great Agrarian agitation.— I I am, etc.. C. L. DUIGAN. i Wanganui, August 22, 1912.