THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 1912. GRAZING RUNS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10685, 3 August 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 1912. GRAZING RUNS.

In a letter i,n> this issue, Mr D. McGregor seeks to justify the request ofcertain tenants of grazing'run & in this I district for a renewal of their leases. ' He admits that ho is an interested ipfaS'ty, and he may be excused, therefore, lor putting the case of the tenante in as strong a light ais possible. The causa of his anxiety, .ankli that of the tenants, is doubtless contained in the ilasit paragraph in his letter, in which he states that the lessees should not onSy /bet given a renewal of their leases (which is obviously against the law at present), .but the right to the freehold, presumably .at the capital value based upon the original rental. Had there been no chance of acquiring the freehold, >we should probably have heard nothing of these demands. Mr McGregor states that when the lesseeis took up these small grazing runs, lthey lunderatood that they would have a right of renewal at a rental of 2-J- per cent' on the unimproved 'value. If it can be shown by documentary evidence that this was so, then the State has a right to keep faith with the u ena;nti?, though the country iiuay -suffer <a less. But it has. no lt'ghU whatever to grant the freehold to theso tenants at "an absurdly low variation. And we will bo excused for saying that., with due deference to Mr McGregor and the tenants, we have our doubts . whether there was any understanding, documentary- or otherwise, that a right of 'renewal should be given. If this were so, we would surely have had a vigorous protect from the lessees when the Act of 1907 was passed, which speciificafly removed from lessees of grazing mums the rfight of conversion. But no such protest was made. The announcement was made months ago , that the leases were expiring, and j tthlat the Laud' Board intended subdividing these areas. As a matter of fact, surveyors have been over the properties, -the sub-diviscion has been made ? one or more of the leases has fallen in, the lessee is continuing.

to occupy on a anonthty tenancy, and no attempt has been made to tost the validity of the aotiow of tho Land Boa,ret. Taking all thetK? circumstances into consideration, one muy he pardoned for thinking that the tenants have ineitlier a moral nor a legal leg to stand upon. As for tilve work the settlers have done ;us pioneers', we have nothing -, to say, excepting that tiny lio.kl it-lie leases on terms which were! the envy of their lieighboniT', a.;id tlioy contributed practically nothing towards the maintcinanrx? of the roJ'.dii. We have no hesitation in saying that .if these runs were subdivided acid thrown open for settlement on lease with right of purchase, they would be eagerly is,napped up by those who aro in search of iand. We I ar e informed that the Mawiceville [ County Council has ;been seriously 'hatiidicappedi financially through the grazing runs contributing so little I towards the upkeep of the roads;.. If J this he so, ail additional reason is fur- | wished for the cutting up of the properties. So far as road communication ,is- concerned, there would be no difficulty about this, provided the runs were rated as tiliey should he. It mattens very llittk whether 'Masterton or Eketahuna be the natural outlet for the ftcttlcir sof '•ihese parts. Th?re is an abundance of evidence that the land' is adapted for closer settlement. This fact has not been disputed by other than those who are <Lirec<tJy interested. We maintain, therefore, that while the Prime .Minister is bound to keeip faith witli the settlers, he has 110 night whatever to amend the 1-aw in such a direction' as will ecnfcir a. huge benefit upon the individual at the expense of the State. The action of the Hon. W.. F. iMassey .in thus matter is being I closely watched. He has protested Im desire to see the resources of the country more ifu.% developed, and the hunger for earth appeased. If, on tin? very first opportunity that presents itself, ho shows a disposition to favour those .who are already possessed of land, ac !bhe expense of the State and the landless, without good and sufficient reason, he will create an uneasy feeling amongst his friemds, and a mspScion in the minds of. the public concerning the sincerity of bis protestations.