LAND COMMISSION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1440, 28 April 1905, Page 2

LAND COMMISSION.

(Per- Press Association.) Christchurch, last night. The Land Commission concluded its sittings in Christchurch to-day, when several important witnesses were examined.

Alexander Craoroft Wilson, registrar at Canterbury College, gave evidence relative to the terms on which the college endowments were let to tenants. Arthur C. Pringle, a member of the Canterbury Land Board, believed that the tonauts generally were satisfied with the conditions of their lease in perpetuity tenure. The freehold, if granted, should be at the original valuation. James Stsvenaon, another member of the Land Board, considered discretionary powers should be given to Land Boards re cropping regulations. He favored short leases in place of the 999 years’ lease. Miohael Murphy, secretary of the Sheepbreeders’ Association, disagreed with the Government oropping conditions. Farmers should be instructed in improved methods of agriculture. He approved of short leases with the option oi purchase. Thomas Humphries, Commissioner of Crown Lands, Canterbury, read a long and exhaustive statement, dealing with the various points raised by other witnesses, or mentioned in order of reference, and stated that the optional system had worked

well, but no great amount of land had been thrown open on that tenure. Since the Land for Settlement Act was passed, 55 estates, comprising 246,000 acres, had been purchased and settled. A large extent of country was taken up uuder the small grazing system. Future Crown leases should be for 21 years, with the right of renewal upon valuation of rent if the holding were lot again. As a whole, the present constitution of tho Land Boards was not likely to he improved upon by having elective boardß. Present cropping conditions should be retained, but the Laud Board should have discretionary powers. A tenant holding a email area should be allowed to apply for a larger holding. The bona fida married servant of tho owner of an acquired estate should bo allowed to select an area up to

640 acres. The grouping of allotments should be made in a more general and comprehensive manner than at present. Groups should be ballotted for in their order, commencing with one containing sections of lease value. The whole of the applicants for a group should ballot for the order of choice. If the freehold were allowed to tenants and the money devoted to the purchase of other estates, it would be impossible to acquire in Canterbury other estates to the extent of a quarter of a million acres of tho character already acquired and settled. If the tenants wore permitted to pay off half the capital value of their holdings it means they would be prevented taking over their sections. The Commission left for Wellington this evening, and proceed direct to Auckland.