CROWN TENANTS

Hokitika Guardian, 28 November 1933, Page 7

CROWN TENANTS

MINISTER’S REPLY TO CRITICS.

WELLINGTON, November 24. *•

Remissions and postponeihents of rent and interest amounting to £841,000 have l been granted to Crown cemuits during the last 18 mouths, and out of the' 87,0U0 holdings the total forfeitures oyer the last two years nave been less than 1 per cent., according to a statement made by tile .Minister for Lands, the Hon. E. A. Ransom.

Answering the criticism of his department expressed in the House by All' W. J. Poison (C., Stratford), the .Minister said lie had arranged with the under-secretary lor lands and land boards for the closest consideration to be given to all recommendations for forfeitures. No forfeiture was approved until lie had given it his personal attention, and it was not gazetted until the settler concerned had ' every opportunity of appeal, and placing liis case before the local Adjustment Commission.

As an indication that the department was adopting every possible means of keeping settlers on their holdings, he quoted figures showing the number oi forfeitures and their percentages of the total number of holdings during each of the last five years:— 1929. 1930. 1931. 1932. 1933. No of forfeitures 520 432 404 275 294 P.c. of total holdings 1.7 1.4 1.3 0.0 0.9 These figures, said Mr Ransom, included a number of township sections which could not be classified as farms, so that when applied only to rural holdings the percentage of forfeitures was even lower than the figures showed. In addition, he could say that fully 75 per cent of the forfeitures were put. through with the concurrence of the settler himself. ACCUAIULATED ARREARS. ‘‘As further indication of considerate treatment being given. to Crown tenants,” continued the Minister, ‘‘itmay be pointed out that up. to September 30, 1933, the accumulated arrears of rent, interest, and principal in respect of Crown tenants and soldier settlers amounting to no : less a sum than £2,214,000. During the last 18 months alone I have approved, on the recommendation of several land boards, concessions amounting to £841,000, made up as follows:

Remissions of rent and interest 459,400 Postponements 328,000 In the Taranaki land district the accumulated arrears amount to £92,000, and concessions granted during the last- 18 months amount to £30,000. The facts quoted are in themselves a direct negation of Mr Poison’s assertion that my department, in dealing with Crown tenants ‘is as hard as the nether millstone.’ He complained that settlers •were being ‘nagged’ at and ‘harried with requests for this and that,’ until their morale was broken and they were prepared- to walk off their sections. Mr Poison must be aware that to comply with the law, comniissioners and their officers are bound to make demands for the amounts due to the Crown. Such moneys unpaid must be made up by the general taxpayer, and if my officers failed in their duty in this respect it would result in general default. As I have shown, the amount already outstanding has reached alarming proportions.”