KING COUNTRY TENURES.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3447, 29 March 1920, Page 3

KING COUNTRY TEN URES.

ACQUIRING THE FREEHOLD.

TERMS OFFERED TO LESS€E.~S.

TE KUITI, March 23.

The proposed regulafions governing the acquisition of the freehold by the lessees of holdings in Maori townsuips were responsible for a conference held to-night. Delegates attended from Ta'umarunlli and Otorohanga, and great interest was displayed in the matter.

A‘3°°rding '9O the Government’s scheme a lessee is a person holding 3, lease under the Native Townships Act, 1910, or any former Act. A con. dition precedent to the acquisition by the Crown. of any land leased under the Act is that the lessee shall enter into an zigreenient undertaking, in the event of acquisition by the Crown, that he will, as soon its possible, but. not later than six months after he is requested by the Commissioner, surrender his present lea‘?:e and purchase the freehold. The agreenient, must be aeconipanihd ‘by :1 deposit of £SO, which will “go towards the purchasing price, if completed, but forfeited if the agreement is not carried out When entering into ‘the agreement the lessee must state whether he elects to acquire the freehold for cash or on deferred payments. The comniissioner will give the lessee notice of the price and the lessee must wi'thin"the time fixed carry out the agreement. The price shall be the total of the following snms:—(l) The amount paid by the Crown to the owners; (2) two and‘ a-half per cent of the amount. paid to cover cost of nequisition; (3) interest on the amount, ii);(‘tl at 5 per cent, Troni the (late of pz~._vment l,‘_‘,' the Crown until the date of notice being given to the lessee of the computation of the price, and other payments made by the commissioner. If the lessee elects to purchase the freehold for Cash he must, within six months sul'v.'endcl'" his lease and pay the price in full, and all rent owing to the Crowii. If the lessee elects to purchase by defei-red payments he must, within six months deposit 5 per cent.

of the purchase price, ‘the license fee, and all rent due to the Crown under the lease. He will then hold the land under license to occupy. The license provides for puynlont. in 19 annual installments, with the right to pay the balance outstanding at any time. Interest. on the amount owing will still be 5 per cent, payable llalf-yearly. The holder of a deferred payment license Cannot. assign or otherwise dispose of his illtol'ost in the 1211111 unloszsf the Land B0:11‘(l first. aslsents.

In :1. letter dealing with the subject the Minister"r'or liarids, the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, says:-—I. am advised that in many cases the or-iginxrl les.<ees ll<:i«’.irl;_;‘ 2:11 *.“.n|o'n‘l nmni.n:li rent. from the native owners, have subdivided and sub-let at greatly advanced rents without any expenditn!‘e on their part. Tr is questionable whether they will have any great desire to acquire the freehold at present—day prices, since they are already obtaining from sublessees a suijstaiitial income without much outlay. Even if these lessees do acquire the freehold, what guarantee is there that they would give :1 .<imil:xr privilege to sub—lcssees at a reasonably proporfi.on:l’re price? I undel'.<l';md that many SLlb~l€SS(‘(‘S have built upon ‘and. improved their holdings, and their rights require consideration and protection.’.’