LAND SALES ACT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 October 1943, Page 2

LAND SALES ACT

PERSONNEL OF COMMITTEES ANNOUNCED WELLINGTON RURAL AREA MR T. JORDAN CHAIRMAN (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The personnel of the Land Sales Court and of the various Land Sales Committees, which have been appointed by the Governor-General-in-Council, was announced last night by the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash. A special Gazette is to be issued today notifying these appointments, which have been made in accordance with the Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Act recently passed by Parliament, and it will also contain the notification of an Order-in-Council regulating the practice and procedure of the Land Sales Court. Copies of the regulations will be obtainable from the Government Printer immediately. The judge of the Court is Mr Justice Finlay, who was recently appointed to the Supreme Court bench. The other two members are to be Mr William Stewart, who recently retired from the position of Valuer-General, and Mr W. E. Scott, of Kapuni, Taranaki, the Government nominee on the Dairy Board. Fifteen Land Sales Committees have been appointed: — The personnel of the Wellington Rural Land Sales Committee is: Thomas Jordan, Masterton, solicitor, chairman. Thomas Gaius Vincent, Levin, farmer. George Andreds Hansen, Kaiparoro, farmer. ••If it is found that this number of committees is not sufficient to deal with applications under the Act, the Government will give early consideration to the appointment of such further committees as may be required,” said the Minister. The regulations provide that there shall be offices of the Court in the following cities and towns:—Auckland, Gisborne, Napier, New Plymouth, Wellington. Blenheim, Nelson. Hokitika,. Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. The regulations provide that applications for the consent of the Court to any transaction under the Act shall be in a form similar to Supreme Court documents. “Forms to bo filled in by applicants are not being printed, but the regulations provide that certain information shall be given in the application,” said Mr Nash. “On a first perusal of the regulations it might be thought that a great deal of .information has been asked for, but this has been done purposely in an endeavour to enable land sales committees to grant a number of applications without a hearing. It will be readily understood that if applications can be granted without a hearing, a considerable saving in time will be achieved, and it is hoped, therefore, that applicants, in their own interests, will supply all the information asked for. No application will be refused, or granted conditionally, without a hearing and affording applicants the opportunity of stating their own cases, but it is hoped to expedite decisions by granting consent without a hearing in many cases. The regulations provide that no court fees will be payable on any transaction [before the Court of a land sales committee.