OFFICIAL RED TAPE.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 200, 21 September 1916, Page 4

OFFICIAL RED TAPE.

A settler in this district 1 recently decided to purchase' 1 a ' quarter-acre section in Taihape,' and' settled upon a piece of land which proved to he an Educational Reserve. Having concluded the bargain, he, to his great? surprise, found that he could not ob-\ ! tain a transfer without the consent of ' the Land Board, and naturally hejgoneluded that in the case of gticn a small holding, with practically no improvements, it wduid ! be 'sirnpily 'necessary to make 1 a formal ' application and pay the fee, which 'the Government never fail's to collect. !i

Judge of his'surprise when he received word from the Commissioner- of' Crown Lands that before he could be' permitted to occupy this large (.?)■ area of land, he must inform, the Land Boat'd what his age was, what hisfinancial position was, how he proposed to pay for the section, whether he "was married, whether he had any family, whether he had any experience in farming, what financial assistance he could procure, and what other land he and his wife held. All these replies had to be given bfore lie could occupy a quarter acre of land in Taihapc. Can official red tape go further?