LANDS BOARD ELECTION.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4537, 9 March 1923, Page 7

LANDS BOARD ELECTION.

A LOCAL CANDIDATE. ‘ The election of a member to the South Auckland District Land Board is to take place on Tuesday next, and this is a matter that Crown tenants in this district should make a note of An opportunity is now offering to elect on the Board a representative living in the district, namely, Mr W. G. Hayward, of Ngatea. This district has never had a direct representative on the Board, and Crown land tenants should now avail themselves of this chance. It has been the experience of those working in the interests of the district that those to benefit most are, in a majority of cases, lacking the enthusiasm that, they possess, and it is to be hoped that they will on this occasion fill in the form . of voting' paper sent by the Board and return it by the 13Jth instant. Mi Hayward is a man with a wide practical experience of the needs of settlers. As a farmer in the North Auckland district, in the earlier part of his life and his successful farming operations at Ngatea for the last nine years he has an intimate knowledge of the conditions under which the tenants of Crown Lands are working. He is the jiominee of the Hauraki Plains County Council, and his nom- ' ination has been backed up by the various returned soldiers’ associations throughout the Valley. In an interview with the candidate he expressed himself as favouring a revaluation of the Crown lands, contending that if some such steps were not taken immediately many more settlers would be compelled t,o walk off their farms. At the present time, in certain cases, the Department was trying to get over the difficulty by not collecting refits. “But. what is the ,qse of this? It is only piling up the principal, and they are. getting deeper into the mire,” remarked Mr Hayward. All considered, it is, therefore, in the interests of every Crown tenant in this Valley to support, the local aspirant, for it isl seldom that a man so eminently suitable for the position offers, himself for election. The last day on which votes will be received is-March 13, so let all affected make use of their privilege—t,ake a keener interest in the poll, and record their votes. The trouble in the past has been that too much slackness lias been displayed, and this will be borne into fact when it is noticed that out of over 4'300 names on the roll the usual average of votes recorded is about 1500, which includes about 500 soldier votes.