OUR LAND LAWS.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 19 October 1901, Page 2

OUR LAND LAWS.

Some classes of land tenure under our present laws do not appear to be held in much esteem by settlers. Leases in perpetuity have not proved the success that it was imagined they would, the desire so strong in the human breast to possess “a bit of freehold ” being difficult to overcome; the individual, contrary to the better law for the community, and contrary to the higher law, which declares that “ the earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof ” desiring to look upon his farm—a portion of the earth and all that therein lies under his plot—as his own, his very own property. A return just made to Parliament shows this very distinctly. We find by that document the total number of leases in perpuity, surrendered or forfeited. The total number surrendered was 643 and forfeited 1,609, making altogether 2,257. The total for the various land

A number of the leases were reselecfcod, the favourite form of occupation being occupation with right of purchase.

INSPECTION OF MACHINERY. The measure introduced into the House or Representatives yesterday is rather an important one for this district as it effects dredging—or rather those who will bo required to work the machinery on dredge. It is a short measure and provides that where a gold dredge is worked in shifts there must be in charge of the engine a holder of a certificate as required by the principal act and every other person in charge, during any shift, must hold a second grade certificate, at . least. The time in which applications for a service certificate may be obtained is extended to January Ist, 1903, and such certificates are to be granted to any person who has been actually in charge of an engine or boiler whether on land or sea as mentioned in section 6 of the principal Act. The Board is also empowered to grant a certificate of the appropriate class to the holder of a certificate, either of a third-class marine engineer or a river engineer

or a marine engine driver of a winding engine on proof that he has for not less than twelve months been in charge of an engine either on land or afloat with cylinders of the area prescribed for such class.

districts were :— < Auckland ... 217 Hawkcs Bay ... 54 Taranaki ... 330 Wellington ... 910 Marlborough ... 11 Nelson ... 12 Westland ... 5 Canterbury ... 174 Otago ... 2S1 Southland ... ... 230 Total ... 2257