LAND AGGREGATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1919, Page 5

LAND AGGREGATION.

AN EFFORT TO STOP IT. (By Wire. —Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Last Night. An indication that one of the provisions of the Land Bill to be introduced this session will deal with aggregation was given in the House this evening by the Minister for Lands, "Two serious atj tempts have been made in this country |to stop land aggregation, one in 11)1:1 and one in lflli)," said Mr. Guthrie. "Loopholes have been found in the law on each occasion, but if the House passes this year the amendment that I am going to propose I think we will stop aggregation, It is not so easy to atop aggregation of land as some people seem to think. A man aggregates the land that adjoins his holding, and he is able to pay a better price lor it than wo could afford to pay for it for settlement by soldiers or anybody else. We are going to stop aggregation if we possibly can. Various methods of evasion have been used. Some people have evaded the law by leasing the land with the right, of purchase instead of buying it, or ihey have bought land and then divided the whole property among the members of the family in such a way as to defeat, the intention q( the law. Tf we pass the new clause this year I think that aggregation will be a thing of the past, because the man who aggregates will sulfer such a penalty that I think he will never do it again."