CROWN LANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 167, 9 August 1909, Page 3

CROWN LANDS.

TOO MANY TRANSFERS. STRONG REMARKS BY A COMMISSIONER. Cliristchurch, Thursday. At the meeting of the Land Board today Commissioner Flanagan drew attention to the fact that five different settlers at Rosewill wished to transfer their holdings. He regarded the fact as significant, and -worthy of comment. Whai the nature of the unrest in South Canterbury was he did not care to My, tut he had a shrewd suspicion. It could not be that the land was of no value, because the considerations in some cases were as high as £5001). The Board had no desire to stop transfers, but he thought there was a duty imposed 0:1 the Board of enquiring into these matters, before letting them go through. There werc.as great facilities for land speculation in the transfer of Crown leaseholds, said the Commissioner, as in the ease of private ownership, and the duty devolved on the Board of subjecting every case to the closest scrutiny, because the successful administration of the Crown estate depended on the action of the Board. The unimproved value of some of these properties had ris«n up 10 from 30 to 80 per cent. Settlers were quite satisfied with their holdings, whicn were quite payable, but when thev could obtain consideration*' amounting "to about £IOOO for selling out they could not overcome the temptation to do so. There were two effects: The man coming in was saddled with a higher rental than the man going out, and if he was not financially sound the Board I'iad trouble in recovering rents, and even if it did so the tendency was not to give the land that fair play that was justifiable.

It was only human nature, Mr. Flanagan continued, especially if a commission agent was' prowling round, for a man to sell out if he could get £BOO or £IOOO for his goodwill.* Some of those who sold out also went around swelling the chorus of those who were continually telling the Government that there was no land for settlement. The ballot system had been designed for the purpose of releasing men of small means' from the necessity of going to public auction to acquire land, and the object was to put them on properties at a fair fixed rental. The operation of transfer, if not checked, would be to enable those men to sell out at a very high consideration, and thereby defeat the very objects which the Government had in view. The ballot system was the subject of a great deal of hostile criticisni, which would he justified if a man who got on the land without public competition was enable* to sell out at a high figure. He was in no sense entitled to that goodwill. The conclusion "he had come to, Hi". Flanagan added, was that the Board would have to be very watchful, and more watchful than ever when land was getting scarce, in seeing that every transfer granted was justified by the facts. He did not suppose the Board had any objection to passing bona fide transfers, but he objected to Crown lessees-making Crown leaseholds the subject of speculation by men who were practically-living as commission agents. If one man sold out it was' temptation to others to do so. That, he believed, was the cause of the unrest in South Canterbury. " .

The Board agreed with the Commissioner, and the applications for transfers were held over for enquiry.