Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 1905. THE LAND COMMISSION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3530, 3 June 1905, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 1905. THE LAND COMMISSION.

Is order to complete its labours as early as possible the members ot the Land Commission have divided forces and o e seciion is now engaged on the West Cutmt Of lids island. Today they (ire in the Upper Kilnglttkclj and on Tuesday afternoon Will sit at Palmefslnc, when arly person desirous of giving infoitnalkm should attend; In connectl >n with this subject the Rangitikei “ Advocate” expresses the liopc, with which we must certainly agree, I 1 at when the members of the Land OmitnissiOn ate framing their report they will carefully discover thd evidence of genuine land users and those living at the expense of the farmers. This will be necessary, because the Commission is actually taking tlu opinions of Crown Land rangers and Land Board officials on the question of lease in perpetuity i Naturally all those favour the ayfltetlh because but for it they would hare to exert themselves in some other occupation. In this connection we note that according to the Waikato “ Argus,” at the sitting of the Land Commission at Kohnkohn Mr Yarborough said that he had seen it reported that Crown rangers in various p'acos in the Smuh Lad hunted up evidence in favour of leasehold, The chairman stated that this was not whhin the knowledge ot the Commissioners. Mr Yarbor -ugh, in reply, said that of six witnes heard up to 5 o'clock four been selected by the Crown, officials, and that of these three were the only persons in favour of land nationalisation in the district, and that two of them owned no land. He protested against these witnesses being specially selects d to give evidence when there was a large number of settlers who had travelled far to attend. The evidence of these witnesses was, indeed, utterly valueless, because it was necessarily biased by personal considerations.