LAND REVALUATION

Hokitika Guardian, 4 August 1931, Page 2

LAND REVALUATION

“WOULD CREATE A CRISIS.” “The present depression is not a justification for the permanent revaluation of the lands of the Dominion, and if there were a revaluation it would firing afiout a crisis that would fie much greater than the present one,” said the Hon. K. A. Ransom, Minister of Lands in the House, when disagreeing with Mr T. I). Burnett (Reform, Tciimka) that a commission should fie appointed to inquire into the “perilous” state of most' of the Crown land sett'ements in the Canterbury land district. “It is not necessary tor me to move around the country more than I am doing to fie aware of the difficulties confronting the primary producers,” said the Minister. “At present I am living in an atmosphere of depression, since continual representations are being madg, to me by farmers who are in difficulties. As a sheep farmer, 1 can surely claim that I have some knowledge of what is going on. The valuation of Crown lipids is not in any sense the cause of flic depression.” 'The Minister said that all the representations being made to the Department were being met most generously, Air Burnett: Come down my way, and X will 'convince you to the contrary. Mr J. Bitchener (Reform, Wnitaki), to the Minister: You are quite wrong. The Minister: 1 am not in the habit of making statements which l eannot back up with actual facta. , . 1 suggest that to revalue the lands of the Dominjqn op fho baais of the present prices for the next 20 years >VQu!d create such a crash of securities that the .vei>y crisis we are trying to avert wonld be created,”

Tlie Minister said that stock agents were working side by side with the Government and treating their clients with the utmost liberality. Suggestions had been made that private interests were prepared to advance money at 4 per cent, but it bad to be remembered that the Crown never charged more than 4-J per cent, for good times or bad. Large sums bad had to be written off, and there was no doubt that large sums would have to written off in the future. No Crown tenant was being hampered in any way, or being driven off the land. The information which reached him was that the Crown tenants were the most secure of any of the farmers,