HON. MR RANSOM

Hokitika Guardian, 10 June 1930, Page 6

HON. MR RANSOM

ST.VTEAIENT BY LANDS MINISTER

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

WOOD-YfLBU, June 9

I lon. K. R, Hansom - delivered bis lir.-'f address since taking up- the posilien of Aiinisler of- Dands in Woodvillo to-night before a-hirge gathering The Minister dealt at ■ length with j lii.. r'ailwnys. and lie stated that their I'm lire working;, as well ns future railway const ruction, was going to be invol igated. The Minister stated, that the IM*-. form Government: during the -.sixteen mouths prior to its going out-of-office, bad purchased .two properties comprising -178 acres, at a .cost of t'H.ADo, and these represented only.'two holdings. During the first sixteen mouths of office .of. the United Government, however, no fewer than, thirty-seven properties had been purchased, comprising . 59.803 acres, ..at a cost of £1)22.3(19, .-ami providing. 176 .holdings. ■Since the. United. Party- fame into office, it had disposed of 2.594 holdings. comprisiugi 54.5(H),- acres on a.ll tenures. d.; ~ ■;

■ ,;The. • Secretary -..0f. "theß-etorjn League, said Air Ranstym,;?,l)ad giVen credit to the Government;lor . settling 124 .new-settlers, but the actual figures up to-the 27th of May last were am.follows : > New sections offered—39l. New selections •-selected—46B, IV.aav area oirf»r.eclr-r-r1*55).334 acres.

Xvw area st*k-uHed— 10$j(>84 acros. The average., -cost- of ,the .sections selected was . 1277, each, The' A!inistor' stated that the number, of sections available would increase as tlm work of the Advisory Committee progressed.

The offerings, for June.. ,an.<l July said Mr Ransom, were'as follows: — Improved sections—37. Partially improved sections—o 7. Undeveloped sections—s 7. Total of sections—l6l.

The policy of the Government, lie said, was to create closer .settlement fiv the purchase or the settlement, of idle Crown .Lands. Development operations had been in'. haml, for .some time on two areas, in. the South Auckland district. The Minister mentioned that the Ngahururu Block, near Rotorua, .of 2,20.0. acres._ had boon sub-divided into sections.¥ 200 acres; and was being improved at an estimated cost of £7 .fT lt -was .expected that this' class' of land would carry one cow to 2)- acres. The Te -Kauwhata block■ comprised 1,000, which wins being. sub-d.ivi(loef . Into eight sections. Already (tjie Advisory Committees were, at, present ; engaged in investigating,-, other .witli a view to their • similar fines. . / ~■■■- > ; • .Oi-.'"-Air Ransom claimed that the first Land Act of the 'United.‘Gyyernmentlms provided a hew era injahd settlement. Those holding or taking .up xni.de v elope cl —o-r-- - par t ia.ttv.v-. de.\ tdop ecl Crown Lands may receive advaJu.-es up to 90 pey- eont of ..the f HKps|.,.pf Giq work, with a-maximum -of £l|pS. ; r lhm preliminary Test' of 80. sections'-? to - hei selected - under these conditions had already', been made. Additional sections were being offered from time to time-. The Minister .figures to stni.w: that there was a considerable demand'; for undeveloped- APnfT: "' . :■/, j Referring to 'the'' ' A'dYhnW's'- 'to Settlers Department, he stated that from December. 1928. to December, 1929, the amount authorised was as follows:

To settlers—£4,33B,34o. To workers —£3,727.636,

The loans paid amounted to , £O,347.137.' and funds added ..to the State Advances capital was £4(-3/1.240. The whole of the arrears to the Advances to Settlers-Office had been ow taken since the 'Government took •Onfe'e. ....... Dc.fling with land andGiicoln'e -tax.ki - IL;ilsa’u ‘olid that the United Govoni'pAvit led placed the burden on the silouih.i'erS' cf tliosc best' able to bear it. the Reform Party bad preached (4,i5.; but they had noD practised it. The • Act- was not perfect. ,ns. many jiacß Escaped under the “'Hardship’' ciaiiisC." Wealthy landow'nors. with £3(!.R()0 of income y.eyr.lv, had escap-ed.-'while a Manager, wifjy ajb jncoirie of £5D6' had paid. ' TheW, wduld" see how far the Opposition 'would assist them to make the Act as nearly perfect. as possible.

Mr Ransom quoted figures to show that three taxpayers had to pay an additional tax of £6.030 '. compared with 11 vc* previous .year., Another man had paid income-, tax -1 of £.40, who had paid £l3 in land tax. Ihe spot-in I land tax was assessed at £360,000, and the remissions .under tin 1 “Hardship” clause had amounted to £95,000.