THE TIRAUMEA ESTATE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 42, 13 November 1920, Page 10

THE TIRAUMEA ESTATE

D MINISTER EXPLAINS THE POSITION. Tho Tiraumca estate, purchased by tho Government for returned soldiers in 1916, wji9 the subject of a statement by tho Minister of Lands in tho House of'l'epresfflitatives on Thursday. Complaint liiis been mado that tho price paid for this estate was too high and that tho soldier settlers aro not able to carry tho burdens placed upon them. The estate is in. thb Woirarnpa district. Mr. Guthrie said that the estate had been'ono of tho first purchased by. the Government for returned soldiers. Tho area was 10,209 acres and tho price paid was i£B per acre. Tho stock on the estate when the Land Purcbnse Board inspected it in 1910 was between 10,000 and 11,000 sheep and 900 head of cattle. Land capable of carrying a sheep to tho aero .was worth about <£7 10s. per aero at that time, and the estate was carrying tho equivalent of about two sheep to tho acre. The condition of the stock in 1910 was thoroughly satisfactory. Two valuations were made of the estate, ouo being .£9 an aero and tho other JGIO ds. 9d. There wa9 reason* to believe that ail adjacent landowner would havo been willing to pay <£9 por acre. Tho Government valuation of tho property in 1910 was, unimproved value, .£IS,7SG; capital value, ,£13,042. Tho Government valuation in 1919 was at the rate of ;E0 9s. 9d. per aero capital 'valui.. Tho Minister added that the loading of the estate had not "been excessive. Tho loading had included a percentage added to cover tlio rebate that was triven to Crown tenants as an inducement for the prompt payment of rents. Tho adding of this percoritnge had been tho practice of the Lands Bepartment for thfe lost 25 years. The tenants had simply received a rebate of their own money, Tho prosent Government had abolished this arrangement. The sum of JCIIOO added to the loading of tho Tirnumen estate for ■this purpose was in the hands of tho Iwpnrtment, and it w-onld ho used for the improvement of tho sections. But this added charge for rebate amounted only to Id. per acre on tho rental. Tho fflct was that when this estate was settled the Government had not beon as particular as it bocnnie later about seeing tbht the men plnqed on the land woto capable of making a success of their work. Ho did not wish to publish tho report* that he iind receiv.sl regarding the Tirnumen settlers. But tho'fnct that six of the men had been ablo to meet all their obligations wai proof that they hnd stuck to" their woTk and knew what they wero doin". Tf six of the men could succeed, whv could not tho others succeed? He troiild l)f glad to let any memljer of the Hon*.-. examine the reports that had been received regarding the settlement. Members who saw the documents would understand why some of the settlers had not succeeded. But he did not believo that moro f.Km one or two of them were going to he absolute failures. The Bepartment was taking special steps to provide oxpert advice and training for the Tiraumea settlers. The Minister added that some of the sections admittedly were rather small. He would be prepnivd to let Hie Lands Committee of tho Returned Soldiers' Association see tho official documents