ROADING NEW COUNTRY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 602, 13 September 1913, Page 5

ROADING NEW COUNTRY.

PROVISIONS aN land bill. I LANDS REVENUE UTILISED. 1 The Land Lswd Amendment BUI introduced this week makes a very important new prevision for the purpose of roading back block districts. In mentioning this proposal, the Prime Minister stated thai it was not only difficult to provide settlers with land, but it was also difficult to provide them with roads. One of the grievances of settlers was that in the out districts they contributed revenue while very often their roads were not formed. It was now provided that whera such settlers were not I provided with reasonable means of access to their lands 211 the moneys they contributed to the revenue of the country should be placed in a special fund and used for no other purpose than that of providing roads for their purpose. It is provided that the Minister may, on the recommendation ot the board, declars any Crown lands occupied under lease or "license, whether they form a continuous area or not to be a special district for the purposes of this section and may, without such recommendation, declare any lands hereafter disposed of by the Crown, whether by way of lease or license, or otherwise, to be a special district in the same way. The revenue of such a district is to be "all moneys from time to time accruing from the sale, letting, cr other disposal of Crown lands within the district," which, pursuant to section 19 of the Land Act, 1908, as amended by section 5 of the Land Laws Amend ment Act, 1912, are payable into the Consoiidatis Fund or the Lands for Settlement Account. This money for such period as the Minister directs, not exceeding 15 years from the date of the declaration of the special district, shall be paid by the receiver oO land revenue into a deposit account at such bank as the Minister from time to time directs, and not into the Consolidated Fund or the Lands for Settlement Account.

The receiver shall, out of the account, pay such su<-"3 as the Minister from time to time directs to some person or persons appointed by the Minister for the purpose of rjupsrwising the expenditure oc the money within th 3 special district. The moneys so paid shall be applied towards the formation and construction of roads and bridges either within or without the special district for the purpose of affording access to the lands within the district, and shall be applied in such manner and for such purposes (not inconsistent with this section) as a majority of the settlsra in the special district, or as a committee appointed by such settlers, may from time to time direct. For the purposes of this section the term "settlers" means the persons who for the time being are liable for the payment to the Crown of rents or other moneys in respect of lands within the snecial district.