LAND COMMISSION

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1487, 22 June 1905, Page 3

LAND COMMISSION

.-■'Per Press Association.) \\ Hokitika, last night. GeooraSV c °ntont •* being manifested tho decision o£ too Land Commission not to visit this district. A number of people here are prepared to givo evidence on various aspects sp'-ei illy applicable to this district, which stands in exceptional f circumstances regarding laud settlement. It is hoped that possibly the Commission '* will again change-Us mind and decide to ; visit this coast.

NEGLECTED '.VEST COAST.

(Per Press Association.) } Ilokit’ka, last night. Tho Westland Land Board, at to-day’s meeting, ua»ni«ncu«'y passed the fcl lowlog resolution t —•* That the Board protests against the uribusinoss-liko and solfish action of tho ..5 docJining to visit this district.” Mr Guinness, M.H.8., who was attending as agent for settlors, said tho decision of the Commission would bo a great disappointment) to a largo number of seisler. r , aud ho emphasised sho special necessity j for tho Commissiou to visit this ch.-tric’, ns there is more Crown Janus on tho West Coast than in any other part of who colony. Tho County Chairman, on behalf of a V largo number of sotclers, also wired a protest to the member for tho district. j -"SITTING AT GISBORNE. FIRST BAY.

Tho Band Commioaion commenced its Gisborne sit'ings aft tho Native Band Court room yesterday morning. Tho Commission consisted of Messrs R. Holl {chairman), W. r . McCorclle, W. B. MathesoD, G. TV. Forbes, TV. A. Me* Cutchoon, and W. J. Munroo (secretary). Mr J. D. Gray, of tho Hansard staff, and Messrs J. Geddas and LoGrove are also with tho Commission.

William Knox Chambers, farming 6000 acres freehold at Patufeabi, aod representUDg about 100 farmers, statsd that ho bad been delegated by the Patutabi Farmers’ Union to givo evidence at tho Commission. There was, he said, a general feeling against tbo leaso in perpetuity. The objections wero who difficulty of financing and tho feeling of insecurity. He advocated the tenure of occupation with right of purchase and small grazing run 3. He leaseholders should be ablo to •vfcmrchasb the land at the original value.It was hot advantageous to have two controlling bodies within one area generally speaking, but in sparsely populated districts ho favored a road board. He ap- \ jroved of members of Land Boards being elected, and not appointed by nomination. The feeling of insecurity was on account j of the fear that tbo Trades aud Labor agitators would succeed in fheir endeavor 1 td- certain iegi-d atbn. He could not * say whether Che Legislature would pass a ‘ Bill providing for the revaluation of 1 Crown lands, but if they did so he hoped I the Imperial Parliament would veto it. t i W. Dongbis Lysnar, farm c :ing two freehold properties aud 6000 acre*, fl

small grazing • run, Waimasa, stated he represented the Gisborne branch of the Farmers’ Union. They were practically uqtanimous in desiring the freehold. The unrest in connection with the Government I leases was caused through the attempt by the Premier to introduce the Fair Kent Bill, aod the difficulty there was of rating sma'l grazing runs. Ha dreaded that the Government would continue bringing in Bills like tho Fair Bent Bill. Should a change be made it should not be ia tbo direction of revaluation, , but to enable tho lessee to become the purchaser. He did net think ® tho present value, or the original value would-.be fair., A loe.ao would increase V threefold in'value in ten years. An averag3| should bo struck between the two ‘ vaVues. Is would bo good for both the colony and the individual to give the freehold, but not unless a good portion of the * unearned iocremem went to tbe Crown. Speaking in r?ga«*d to the small grazing J! run Ccowq tenants at Hangaroa, ho stated they were’ prepared to rate tbemsolv©3 for P a road, but tbo Government would not 1)1 '?eept the property as security. The P ion had taken a strong stand against the 6 ~er*s endeavor to pass tbe Fair Bent a This, he considered, was the crux of ® iOlc trouble. The Trades aud Labor ~b . i ion was only a secondary considers 1 ‘ tioh/ The leaseholders wero afraid of the 1 contract being broken for tho revaluation of. tbe land. He thought ii would bo a 0 benefit for the colony to give tho individual 1 the* right) of purchase. The subsidy for c roads should bo baaed on tho rateable value of tho land, instead of a system of Govern- r ment grant 3. He thought that strong 1 stops should be taken to cheek the spread c of rioxious weeds. The right of purchase tenure gave the best security for borrow- c ing. Tho baaks wore now lending on the c lease in perpetuity. He believed in dua 1 -control of country districts. Ho did not •frsJieve in thickly populated districts being 1 divided, but those at a distance of 30 miles j 'from the centre should be allowed to form • Boad Boards. Tho Fair Rent Bill would bo a renudiation of tho tenure, and, if passed, the people would have no right of appeal. The"restrictions in the residential j clause were too drastic, aud should be re.l laxad. \ . John W. Bright, manager o£ tho Wew foonland Loaa and Mercantile Agency Co., < stated that the Act needed amending in , regard to the residential clause, and cited | w nere a man had not sufficient land to Jivo on at the estuto. wife implied for an adjacent section, but it was Acid that she must reside on the section. iTho ballot system was grossly abused. Many persons put in applications who had " no intentions of residiug on' the land. He ■supported the Public Trustee funds being 'made available for advances to settlors. , He was clfantee of a very large number of leaseholders, and ho found that tho leaso in perpetuity was greatly fayored. There ; should bo some steps takeD to correct the %buse of tbo baUot, Examination of candidates would improve tbe system. Men with small capital favored tbe lease in nerpetuity. He did not think tbero would , he any difficulty ia finding a purchaser for l.paso in perpetuity property. Thera were i !^ ariv largo osia-ies ho>:o suitable for cut- / tins up for settlement. The Advances to Act was woikiog satisfactorily. He c®Tld see no way that a Crown tenaot wouli suffer by being grant id the treeQold. -xi B approved of elective Land Boards. He ...A mro iu i better posi-

Thought ftho people wore m a uos-ec tion to aopoiut a member than a Mima,or ■ of tbo Crown. H« thought tbo present i OD d laws were working well. Too prosperity or the town was linked witu trial of Bates, Willows, stated that his section was over-valued. The Land Board rould do nothing, a id he was told to come before the Commission. Ho considered tHn.5 tbo BSCtiou should bo rc-valueo. V George Rsdpafch, holder of 700 acres V ■ lease in perpetuity, Alova, stated that when ho noticed tbo agitation for ro-valua-he wished to get too freehold. A Fair Root Bill would he all right for those gattiers who wore ovnr-vu.uod. Ho an-s to pay the extra 1 per cent and got fiho option, of purchase. He rvas satisfied the Laud Board's administration, i W AOTi!liauj McLean, fanning 1000 acres at ■Ro'Kaurca, represented the Mofu Farmers S They considered the right of par, nhq.se * should be granted at the original ! “fun The trend-of legislation was in f direction Of breaking existing leases | revaluing the land. The I'armors nnion had agitated for the freehold. E“ “ the Trades and Labor Councils com-

' Canoed their ug taiion there were less ' ? SpUcations for- tfco lease in perpetuity. thought the granting or thp oceupat.cn «Tifh of purchase i.uure wouh* fcepethe country greatly. He strongly . denost-'d tho residential conditions, which k fuade the social atmosphere better, and li tabled the settlors to got school faculties. V: *? considered no t.ansior should be f „f n iad until a settler had resided on his v* *^ a ., ( 0 r two years. The Motu never of. rapt. The lease in perpek was best if a seller wanted to i *«*,* «. f the oooupapioa with £ »«.*««* 1 standpoint. , P 3lr R-'dpatb, recalled, said an appliedf "''firm for a rebate of rent for prompt pay‘nont bad been made to the Hawka s Bay • Tjood Board. The Board replied that a | rebate had never been gractod. : Owen Gallagher, forming 40 acres freo- ) jioia and 50 acroa leasehold, condemned * '***. f.Vm nvsfeecri of landlordism, and

should bo mado os to the area, ana supports! tho Lands for Settlement Aot. F Stevenson Smith, Grown Land Otli oor, Gisborne, stated there was very little Grown land to come forward in this district, though thera was a largo demand to. it. Too want of roads was tho greatest drawback.to settlement. Tho settlements in tho district were in goodl position, and tho Eor.nots well satisfied. Ho had a slight koowlidgo of the nauvo lands in tho district, and considered that tho Govornmont should take thcao lands under tho Land for Sstilemont Act immediately. Alfred Fordo Matthews, surveyor, stated that ou account of tho difficulty of getting metal tie making of winter reads was prohibitory, and unless they instituted light railways or tramways they would not bo able to open up tho back oeuntiy. Tho Government would get. a revenue out of a liue. Too road;* would bo etui available for driving stock. , G-O'gs Dunne, Willows estate, advocated the froohold. It was necessary that the tenant should live on tho land. -tie was prepared to pay more for “ bettor tenure. When a man could put £IOO by ho considered ho should have an opportunity of obtaining tho froohold. Ho bad every corifidenco that iho lease ho hold would not bo broken. If land wero thrown open for settlement hero there wero many who would apply for it. There wero several l»rgo estates that would cut up, hut hs thought tho laud was too dear. I Thomac John Dunstan stated that bo applied for an advance under tho Land for Settlement Act. It was r three months before ha got it, and thon it was too lato. Ho hod to moke other arrangements. Ho was satisfied with the lease in perpetuity, bufe would sooner have tho freehold. Whatover the Government spent on roading and draining leasehold property should ho put on tho capital value of the land wnon it was sold. • Tho Commission thon adjourned until Saturday morning, when an opportunity will be givou people from tho country to give evidence. • - The Commission proceeds to Urmona this morning,