BIG ESTATES

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2152, 19 May 1914, Page 6

BIG ESTATES

IN NORTHERN WAIRARAPA

ACQUISITION URGED POSSIBLE CHANGE IN THE LAW

The claims of the Northern Wairarapa tlisiru-t to Stale assistance; in Uie matter oi promoting closer bcuiemuiit were empnaoibou Uy a uuputaiwn representing aucuers uiiU district, looiil uotiios, wincn was introduced to tius Kigiit iioii. \\. I', Jiassaj- [I'rimu Mmtsuir) yesterday, by (mi- tVaiter liuulianaii, iW.i'., and lur. U. R. byk.es, iu.l'. 'i'iie liiomuers of tlie deputatiau were Messrs. Ji. ti. y. iiydor (.cliairniaii of tne L'astlepoiut County Uounol;, Ji. Schotieict (ctiairnian ot tuo I'inta bfhool C-ouiitut' tec), Win. .Douglas (chairman of tiic District Closer settlement Committee), and Harold Bennett.

The principal request of the deputation was that two estates, Thnti (11,508 acres) and Anncdalo Uo,7U-l acres) uliould be acquired by the Government and cut up for closer settlement. It was represented that these- and other areas held in large .blocks com-titutett a liar to the progress of tlie district, and that tho Government had done milling in the way of acquiring laud for closer settlement in tlie Northern Wairarapa since the Laugdale estate was acquired thirteen years ago. It ifas claimed that other estates could be acquired and settled just as successfully as .Lnugdale had been. Tinui estate, it was maintained, came within a mila of Tinui township.

Air. l<y<ler said that the total valuation of tho Castlepoiiit Coflnty was £837,171, and the total acreage 138,160 acres. Of this amount, absentees, twopie living olsowhero than in Uastlepoint County, owned 61,570 acres, valued at £341,601. In addition to the estates owned by absentees, there- wore threeother big estates (of an aggregate area of 29,810 acres, and with an aggregalo capital vahio of £115,688, held and worked by owners resident in the district. In all, eight estates were held by absentees and by resident big landholders. Tho combined acreage of the eight properties was 91,330 acres, and the total capital value was £157,233. So large ft proportion of big estates in a small county, Mr. Hyder contended, meant that thero was very little chance of any progress being made in the district. As an example of tho disabilities . under which settlers laboured, he mentioned that they had to individually pay so much in order to keep a. doctor in Hie district. He himself paid £7 10s. annually, and was not the highest contriS.ni' tor. Working men contributors paid £3 10s. - a year. Even paying these contributions, they could not keep a doctor in the district. II the large estates were settled tlie difliciilty over the doctor and other difficulties would soon disappear.

Compulsory ■Acquisition, The Prime Minister, in replying, said that no estate had boon taken compulsory by the Government for seven years, tho reason being that so many difficulties had been placed in the way that the law had been, found "almost «n* workable. Whether Parliament would alter the law ho was srat able to say at the moment. His attention had been called to a certain property that Mr. Sykes knew of, and he (Mr. Masscy) had made inquiries as to whether it could be obtained, but the owners put on a prohibitive price, and so Inrniy difficulties arose that he had to advise the Lands Department to let it go for tho time being. Under tlsclaw as it formerly stood, land eouW be taken for settlement in a similar way to land taken for public works, but this was not the law to-day. He did not know whether they were aware of that. So far as the properties they had mentioned were concernedi he would ascertain whether the owners were willing to sell. The Government were prepared to buy at a' reasonable price, but they were not going to put settlers on land ivliich had been valued toe high. That ivould only mean that the settlers would come back in a couple of years, asking for a reduction of rent. Ho had before him at least a dozen cases in which, unless values were reduced, tho settlers would go out. Mr. Sykes: Were these properties recently acquired? Mr.' Massey: No; they "Wore some acquired years ago. Mr. Ryder, answering a question, said that he thought the capital value of tho. Annedale Estate was £6 Bs. pel acre, and that of the Tiuui Estate £7 or £7 7s. per acre. Mr. Massey said that ho would hand over the representations made by the deputation to tho Lane! Purchase Board. He was putting in motion certain powers, which he had under the Act of last year, in regard to "certain properties in different parts of New Zealand. He was wart yet prepared to state publicly what 1:0 had been doing .in that respect—tho time bad not come —it might not be necessary to make it publie at all. If owners wcro not prepared to take a reasonable price something more wouM be done., but he ivas not prepared to say at the meincnt what it would 1». Mr. Massey mentioned that an adverse report had been received from the Land Purchase Board in regard to Tinni.

Inspecting an Estate. Mr. Ryder said that when tho representative's of the Land Purchase Board visited the district they drove along the road on one side of the property, in a buggy, and back along tlio other side. Ho did not see bow men conld possibly make a report ou property liy doing that. Sir Walter Buchanan easel that there was another property in the district, in refcronco to which great disappointment was expressed when it was not cut up. It was visited by the Land Purchase l!oarcl tii exactly the earne> way as had just baen described ta the Minister.

The Prime Minister said that he tinfortuuately did not know the Waira* rapa well,' but tlio Government had done a good deal in the way of land settlement. They bad Acquired over half a million pounds worth of land last year and negotiations were proceeding for the acquisition oS other properties. Mr. Ityder said they felt that, tho northern part of the Wairarapa had been neglected. Sir Walter Buchanan would agree with him. (Sir Walter Buchanan: That is true.) Ho know a lot of land suitable for Battlement under the samo conditions as had attended the settlement of LangfJale. There was no doubt that the northern.-part of the Wairarapa bad been seriously neglected. '.' Mr. Massey: Hew long is it since yon had any largo blocks purchased? Mr. lj.vder said that it was thirteen years since the Langdiite Estate was That was tlio only'subdivision that had been made in the district for thirteen years. Mr. Massoy: Souie c-alates have beon privately MibdivkM, I suppose? Mr. Ryder said that some had been subdivided amongst, the families. There had boon nothing; apart from that so far as lie knew. Mr. Mnsse.v repealed that lie would Eo into tho matter and that if the Land Purchase Board oould got the land at a fair price , he was prepared to buy. Of emirsp, on' the other hand, ht> added, tho people"concerned might- say: "We aw. going fo subdivide the. land ourselves." Mr. Ryder: Tlioy might say they were Eoing to subdivide amongst the members of their families. , Mr. Mossey; That Ik not tubdirisiou within the meaiitag of tie Act.