"A SERIOUS MENACE."

Taranaki Daily News, 20 June 1916, Page 7

"A SERIOUS MENACE."

FARMERS CALL ATTENTION TO AGGREGATION. "Part VII, of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 11)13, provides ample machinery for dealing with all cases of aggregation. There is power to take compulsorily all land acquired by way of aggregation and to pRy compensation for same' Directions have been issued to all Crown Lands Rangers to report from lime to time any genuine or apparent i.ase of aggregation that may come under their notice, with a view to such case being fully inquired into and action being taken thereon where necessary. I may say, however, that the departmental, records show there arc,many cases of' subdivision for every one of aggregation." Such was the reply given by the Right Hon. W. F. Massey in the House of Representatives to a question by Mr. W. T. Jennings (Taumarunui) as to whether his attention had been drawn to the following resolution, passed at a meeting of delegates at the conference of the Farmers' Union at Levin by a vote of twenty-six to fourteen:—"That, in view of the serious menace aggregation of land is becoming to the welfare if tliif country, the Government be urged to take elective 1 measures to pre- ■ cnt same." Mr. Jennings said he thought the reply was begging the question altogether. If a body of men representing the Farmers' Union, who were acquainted in every way witli what wan going on, passed a resolution, their opinion was one calling for a more satisfactory reply than that sjiven. Aggregation was going on, and unsatisfactory measures were being taken to prevent it.