A SOUTHLAND SECTION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1679, 20 February 1913, Page 5

A SOUTHLAND SECTION.

.- ——♦- : "'■'■:': J i : y OPPOSITION CRITICISM. ' ,' OFFICIAL REPLY. Allegations which have been"made bJ.'-'V a Mr. Thomas Horan regarding the'dis-' posal of. Scctijau GO, Block XXIV,' luvcr-" ■ ■ cargill Hundred, werecommented upoii •' \ • yesterday by a local Opixjsdtion news-. paper. Tho Hon, W, F. Mnsscy (Prime : , Minister) last evening, handed to a re. porter the following oiiicial explanation of, . ! the circumstance:!, supplied by tho Commissioner of Crown Lands in tho Southland Land District;— , ..,.• "Mr. Horiu states!— ■ . "(s) He applied for tlio section, which 1 was drawn,at a ballot by a person who ■ had so much land that tho section war- ■■:. forfeited at, tho Octol>er meeting'of th« Land Board. ■' '.'■■ ■■...■ , * < ■•■'•'','; ,; , "(b) That applications for tho land wera not publicly invited, but) persons were told privately, by a member or members of tho Land Board to npply. Horan hitn-'> . self applied. The section was granted to ■ a landed proprietor, who. was given 6ix'■■'.'' months to dispose of the land ho then '..•: held; to qualify for th-a new,. Horan ■ ; . claims the section: as the' only, landless.. ': ', applicant.. ' '■'■'..■ ~. ' „ '■'The Commissioner explains!—' • ,'. , "(a) Mr. Horan's statement is abso. • '/ lulely contrary to fact. "There were runs ',■'•. applicants for tlio section when it wa« ■ opoued' on; October 23, but Horan was V net ono of them. Eventually only two ' ■].* .were, left .in tloballot—a Mr. Creightoa,., ' and his wife. Mrs., Crcighton .••',... cessfui;; but. as'fhs'deposit had not boon ■■' ;'.■.'■ paid the application lapsed. Both wer« . • landless. ~•■''•. ■■<..'■ ■' / '.■■ "(b) Subsequent to the ballot, three ap-. "V plications (including .that from Mr,' , Horan) received for tho section, On«;; '.',, was rejected I 'as rot landless. Another, a,: • MrV Wilson, held iiii cducati6n rescrvo .i , of 190 ■■acres, and freehold of 200 • acres,' ~''. valued at £2 ss. per acre. Tho board ~, allowed him lo go to the ballot provided ■ he divested himself, of 'his land, under? Section 11' of the Land; Laws Amendment ' , Act, 1912. Horan and' Wilson wcro loft) in the! ballot,, and Wilson was ■;.;,. Wilson af.sured the board thiit bin land.■■''■•■,; was in the market., Ho,is a practical man,, : ~ with o lifetime cxDcrience in farming, Mid- . with:.him.ii Th* '. " ( : ; Commissioner considered 'Horan,; totally ,■ ' unfitted for takins up the section! owing ,;• to various disabilities." .'■■■■,'".', ■■■.■.

Mr. Koran; according'to the- official rc~.V ' part, is a 'very 'bid'man, hn/fx-ScliooW'- . master with very little practical expert \ . ence of fanning, and is lame. The board ■>: considered that of tho-two vicn Mr. Wil.', r ■son. was likely/to''make much the hotter ".'.■' settler. . ' ■ -''■ •■ '■ /.' ■■• ■! '•, ! 'V'••■''■•