The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1891. Land Laws

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 150, 11 June 1891, Page 2

The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1891. Land Laws

In a previous article on the tyranny alleged to have been exercised in certain cases ,by the Crown Lands Bangers, ./we mentioned an instance where a lessee had been threatened with forfeiture of his lease for committing the dreadful crime of taking in stock for grazing purposes. Of course the accusing ranger, whoever he may have been, believed he was only acting within the powers which are given m Clause 71 Section (2) of the, Laud Act, 1885, which -provides that whenever a Land Board has ; reason to believe that any lessee is not f ul- ( filling the conditions of his lease In a bonajide manner the Board may hold an enquiry into the case, and may de.dare airthe rights of the lessee under his lease to be forfeited, if the Board is .satisfied that the lessee: "In any case has occupied the land comprised iv his lease or license for his own use and benefit nominally, but has permitted other persons to derive the virtual use and benefit by depasturing their stock on the land, such stock not being- agisted to the lessee or licensee upon adequate terms or for an adequate money consideration, or has occupied such land apparently for his own use and benefit, out virtually has so occupied on behalf of another person who has; supplied the lessee or licensee with money or stock." There is a vagueness iv this which allows of misunderstanding, if not of misinterpretation, which, peculiarity is, ,by the way,' according' to tli*e judges of the Supreme ' Court, only too common iii the laws framed by our New Zealand legislators. ,W.e can, thur'jfpre, easily believe that" where . -Hangers have been troublesome or irritating to settlers they have only been so in the faith that they were doing their duty according to the rules laid down for their guidance. But that*notwithstanding, we still maintain that no official, especially a subordinate, should be entrusted with such arbitrary powers as :are given under this Act. The Government should remember that while we can sometimes do without civil servants, the country would come to a standstill without the settlers. The better plan, in the meantime, would- be for Land Boards to instruct rangers to communicate direct to the Land Commissioners any cases of failure to comply with the conditions under which land is held from the Crown, and on receipt of such communication the Commissioner should forward a copy thereof to the 'lessee complained of, so that the latter would be given an opportunity . for making an explanation to the higher official.