LAND COMMISSION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1439, 27 April 1905, Page 2

LAND COMMISSION.

LEAVES FOR AUCKLAND TO-DAY

(Per Press Association.) Christchurch, last night. The Land Commission resumed its sittings this morning.

Mr Arohie Donald Paterson, engineer to the Selwyn County Council, did not regard co-operative labor bb satisfactory. Day labor with skilled supervision was more economical than either contract or cooperative labor.

Henry Williams, Crown Lands Ranger, stated that residence and building conditions should be strictly enforced. The grouping system was not satisfactory. Frank S. Yates, ex-president of the Progressive Liberal Council, olaimed that no more Crown land should be sold, and that present leases should bo adhered to. Future leases should be for 63 years, with re-valuation every 21 years. He thought the present lease in perpetuity worse thar_i freehold. The State was entitled to sorae of the unearned increment. If the option were given of acquiring the freehold, the land'should be put up to auction and the tenants compensated for improvements. William Lowrie, direotor of Lincoln Agricultural College, considered it would be better for the individual and the State if the matter of cropping wbb left entirely to the discretion of the tenant. Exhausted land could easily be restored, and exhaustive cropping was only one bad feature of bad farming and others not included. In cropping conditions the tenant should be subject to no restrictions re the conduct of his business.

E. G. Stanley, manager for the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile, said the tendenoy in the. county wastowasds subdivision rather than aggregation of large private estates. He believed that a freeholder made better use of his land than a leaseholder, and that the State would be wise to allow its tenants to acquire the freehold of their holdings. C. Lewis, M.H.R., and chairman of the Board of Governors of Canterbury College, saidjtbat the Board let its reserves on a 14 years’ lease with oropping restrictions and valuation for approved improvements. The State 999 years’ leases possessed n o reversionary interest of value.

Harry Atkinson considered no Crown lands should be sold. In future leaseholds should at intervals revert to the State and be made subject to revaluation. No traffio in leasehold lands should be permitted. A system of co-operative settlement should be inaugurated for working land and other industries, and a Fair Yient Court should be established.

The Commission leaves for Wellington on Wednesday nify'ai and proceeds direot to Auckland, wb.’ere evidence will be taken in districts notth of Auckland.