The Land Commission.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 212, 9 June 1905, Page 2

The Land Commission.

VISIT TO THE KAWHIA DISTRICT. EVIDENCE AT KINOHAKU. The Commission sat at Blnohaku 1 ou Thursday, Ist inst., when tbe following evidence was heard E l vard Charles Stanley, holder of 1462 acres in the Maroknpa Valley, L.1.P., considered that they should have the freehold, aud that bad been unfairly dealt with in not having the right of purchase, in fact they bad been treated more unfairly than any other portion of New Zealand, as they had not the option of tenure. Some of the sections had been forfeited and they had been thrown opan for selec tion under tbe Bush and Swamp Act, which exempted them from re it, as well as taxes, for four years. This was also an injustice, as it meant thaf if a loan was raised io make roads the solders of these sections would reap the benpfit of thwir neigbbou s money. If the Kinohaku block had besn thrown open undei* the three options, it w >uld have been all applied for under the O.R.P. He thought that when their improvements were completed they should have the right to convert “into the 0.R.P., wiih tbe 1 per cent added. He did not wish to see the L.I.P. abolished altogether, and would like to see the deferred system re intro ■faced, as he thought it we’l It was a difficult matter to finatcj L.I.P. sections, and it would be an act of grace on the part of the Government if tbe freehold was granted If there was a change in Government a re valuation might be insisted on which would be manifestly unfair. They objected to their neighbours hav ing tbe right of purchase while they had not the option. He thought the Government should break the- L I.P. contract—they had broken many before The Government only represented the people, and tbe freehold | should be granted, as it was the wish of the majority. The Labour Unions I knew nothing of the requirements of the settlers. His dealings with the Land Board had been satisfactory, but he did. Dot think the nomination of members by tbe Ministry was advisable and favoured the election of some of the memJere by the settlers. He had not had experience with the Advances to Settlers’ Department, but thought the Act was a good one and gave the Government credit f>r it; the Government ought to advance three-fifths, provided two-thirds of the amount was spent in genuine improvements. The Government should be compelled to expend the thirds within two years. He would make those whodid not reside on tbeir sections do double improvements. Tbe Kinohaku settlement had advanced thin any other settlement in New Zealand ; the land bad only been settled two years and double improvements bad been done on nearly all of the sections. He beiteved in closer settlement, but though 100 acres was not enough land for a settler to make a liying off; they should be a’owed to acquire their neighbour’s section. The Government had done well as far as roads were concerned, but the construction of the road to the railway should be pushed forward. There was a universal wish for the freehold, but he thought it incorrect to demand it. He was in favour of the establishment of telephone communication between Kinohaku and Kawhia. John Shaw said he held 325 acres of L 1.P., but was not satisfied wi;h the tenure, as he wanted the right to purchase fiia section. When the block was first opened the tenure was O.R.P, and he was one of the many that came to look at ii. After looking through the block, which necessitated considerable expense and the undergoing of a great many difficulties (there were no launches on the harbour then) he returned to Kawhia to find tbat the land bad been withdrawn without any reason being given, It was stated that fresh posters and plans would be issued, and these showed that the land would be thrown open undec the L I P tenure, whilst two or three of the best sections had been reserved to cut up into 100 acre holdings. Not a settler in the block was satisfied with the tenure, and all were dissatisfied at the Government withdrawing the land from selection under the O.R.P. tenure. If it was a private individual they would have an action against him. The land was withdrawn on the plea that there were minerals therein, but he had never found any nor beard of anyone who had. They claimed the right to have option of tenure. ; The 100 acre sections were of nn practical use, and it was impossible to make'a living off less than 400 acres of such land. It was not suitable for dairying being too steep aud broken, i It is desirable to have telephone oommunication with Kawhia. Tbe land was not withdrawn on account ot coal being there, but on account of speeches by agitatitors denouncing the action of the Government in parting with tbe “ people’s heritage.” The Government were not carrying out tbeir promises in connection wish roads. In the centre of between Kinohaku and the line there was six miles of 16ft. track which had never been used, and was not connected with any other road. It was of the greatest importance tbat the road to the railway be constructed at once, so as to enable them to get their stock in. The Commission could not raalim tbe difficulties under which I hay laboured. The e was no real communication be tween Kinohaku and ths railway, for they had to traverse 12 to 15 miles of bush traqk; if this wore for mid it would be a boon to them. He would very much like some ol tho meubars to accompany him along tho road so as they could see what it was like. Although fully 30 settlers attended this was all the evidence the Oommis sion vyould hear. The meeting lasted 25 tofaqtes.

MEETING AT AWAROA. The journey to Awaroa was made on Friday. Mr Humphreys read the following'evidenaaa “Ata meeting of the Awaroa Valley Mt- ? le:a held on May 28tb, I wm appointed by i them to place their views before the Land ] Coznmfflsion, At that time we did not know «] whether tVe Commii'icn would come to . Hautnra, bat we are very pleased that you \ have done »o, end we offer yon a hearty welcome. The settlers who attend! the j meeting on May 20th were quite satisfied with the land tens e they have got. viz, 0.8 and were aaarimoasly in favour of the freehold, tbe following being some of ? tbe reasons :—(1) Tbat if a settler has a few ( good years he coaid save money and buy his r land, then if bad years followed he would not have rent to pay, and bad times would t not be so hard on him. (2) Th it a man looks after hie land better if it is freeh >ld. , and keepa it in better heart, whiict the idea that it is, or will b?» freehold, givM him moro encouragement to battle with and I keep down nox’.oua and othdr weeds that may appear. (3) That money is more , easily procurable on freehold thaa on leasehold and also more could be borrowed on the freehold, consequently mors improze- 1 meats eon'.d be done. (4) That supposing a man who has a leauhold becomes incapable ( of working it through illness or accident, or wishes to dispose of his goodwill, he must obtain, 1 believe, tbe sanction of the Land Board to such sa’e, and they may object because the goodwill i?emi exorbitant, whereae it may really be quite reasonable, as sj©and or third burns, extra grass sead and cost of sowing same, packing on bad roadfl, or n> roadflat all, and nume-oua other expenses besider the man’s ow* labour, .ad I mount up very cdnsiderably. and may muke the j.jodwill seem large, when it ie really not exor bitant. If, on the other hand, a man ha-* the freshold, he can please himself with regard o s .le ; hy may c u>e some people to *alk about the unearned increment, but w maintain that there is no uneirnid incre meat in bush farming, and I mb sure that if the members of the Land Commission had ape »t the last five years of their li ■ es in th Awaroa Valley they woo d be of thd same opinion. 'Vith regard to Land Boards we think that a portion of the members should be elected. RelsAive to roads and bridges.—Onr laui in the Aw. roa Va’l*y (amounting to, I be - lieve, 11,419 acres) is lox led with about 3s per acre for roads and bridges: at that figure this would represent £1713. Now, we wish to draw your attention to the injuatics we have suffered through this money not bsing expended and giving us a roid through the block- We have hal our sections for over five years and at the present time ha»e only about fi?e miles of 6fc. track open, with another mile (or thereabouts) being now formed. One bridge is now being erected, the timb r for which was cat about 11 months ago, and has been lying beside, insteed of over, the Kiamunga Creek ever s : ice. In the meantime the settiers have turned out on two occasions aud erected temporary bridges over this creek, the first of which collapsed when a settler was riding over it, and he narrowly escaped injury both to rider and horse, whilst another suffered mo. j, as he was riding up the track at night and did not see that the bndge was smashed, and in consequence he injured his aorM severely. The second tempera, j bridge, I am glad to say, held out until the permanent scrnclure hvs at la t been completed. The reason given for the delay in building tho bridge was that the timber was seasoning. The settlers have also built a bridge over the Te Awaite Creek, which work took two d iys; we have also cut trees off the track and done other work from time o re, The accrued thirds on our sections to date amount to, I believe, .£406, so that you see taat in something over five y rs all we have got (including Government g.ante, al-o from loading at 3s, and t;;.ued thirds, which latter together represent a sum of £3110) is five miles of 6ft. track open, about another mile now being formed, and one brilge erected —the whole of the work we estimate (not including the mi'e being formed) would cost about £6ou. Now, wa think that when a man becomes a tenant of Crown land which u loaded for reading, he practic Uy enters into a cont.-act with the Government and they with him. He as tenant is compelled to do his neceasary improvements and reside on his section within a certain time, and the Government- should fulfil their part of the contr-ot by giving him access to his holding. Bat the Government does not-, yet they compel the settler to do improvements, bat what go>i are chose improvements, as how is ho going to get stock in without a road, and hew is ha to pay his rent without stock ? Also, :f grass is not stocked it goes to waste and will die oat ; the land would. have been much better left in standing bush an‘ll such time as the Governmsat thought fit to give access to it snd so enable It to be stock ed. If the Government do not intend to make the roads w here land is loaded for rolling immediately after tbat laud comes oat at the ' ballot, they should not compel the tenants to do the improvements acd reside on their sections, until such time av they give them access thereto, and all loading should be spent in the immediate vicinity of the land ' that carries such loading. Some of the Awaroa settlers cut nine miles of track through the bush to enable them to get stock in ; in places there was a lot of sidecutting and aav vying work to be done and it naturallv cost them a good deal of vala--1 ablo tine, bat with what result? Messrs Babbage Bros, went to the Waikato and bar46o sheep, and lost 260 oat of, the i mob bringing them in. In my own case I lefb my first two clearings (amounting to abuut 80 acres) ttaatocked, sooner than take the riiik of such losses, and waited until the Government made a 6ft. track to within , if boat half-a-miie of my boundary, when, by making tracks J h- ough the bash, I managed to get sheyp in, but I have had to cut down the undergowt>; and sow these two clearings pretty is-iil over again, as they grew up owing to not being stocked. All the settlers have suffered great IoJ J of time and money through not having a formed track to their Motions, and 1 have oqly mentioned the ' above instances te give an idea of what it is ito be vvithout roads. Waijt of roa le is also most severely felt by the wives and families of those who are married. I might mention that some of the settlers contemplate dairying, but, of coarse, that is oat of the question anti! each time as they have a road, so you see that the settlers are kept back in i every way through not having roads and cannot make the progress that they desire, which, if it is tbe same in other bush i meats, as I believe it is in a good many oases, must be a bid thing for the colony as a whole. When we attended the ballot, over five years ago in Auckland. Mr Seddou was present, and in tus cou.ae of a short apoach tc-ld os tbat we would have ou. roads in two yearn’ twie. This was natc rally most cheering uewa to settle a about to go back to the bxck-blocks, but yet here wo are over five years past since the ballot, yet we have not even a flft. track. i think the above remarks labstantiate my former statement, that th )re is no unearned increment in the Awan* Valley at any rate. In conclusion, we sincerely hope that the evidenco collected by the Laud Cknnmissio i throughout the colony may be to the Crown tenante.in partioular aud to the colony as a whole, and wa desire to thank * he Commission for coming and taking our evidence.” Th> report was signed on behalf of the Awaroa settlers V Meer, W. Humphreys. H. A. Babbage, A. W, Babbage aul G. M*D. Robertson. Verbal testimony, bearing out tbe above remarks, was given by Messrs W. D. Humphreys, A. W. Bxbbags, H. H. Babbago and G. M'D, Robertaqa.