THE LAND ACT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2024, 24 June 1885, Page 2

THE LAND ACT.

The following petition to the Assembly is being extensively signed by farmers aiita deferred payment settlers in Otago:— J? ' That your petitioners earnestly truffi ' that your Honorable. House will insert provisions in any Land Act passed this session by.your Honorable House— repealing and doing away with tho provisions contained in sections 7 to 16 (both inclusive) of the Land Act, 1877, Amendment Act, 1884. Providing for capitalisation of payments beim; allowed for twelve months'fulfilment of conditions. Providing for the issue of a Crown grant to deferred payment settlers who have * fulfilled their conditions for three years, . with the amount of the capitalised debt to the Crown endorsed on such grant, the same to operate as a first mortgage to the Crown until the debt with all interest • is paid. Providing for the abolition of the system of disposing of any lands by tender, and for the substitution of the ballot system, or, failing that, the auction system. If the tender system should bo mata tained, then providing that in all <x£k where only one tender is received for Imy land the tenderer should be entitled to tho same at the upset or reserved price. Provided that any settler in the Colony should have the right to select an area not exceeding in the aggregate 320 acres • of rural lands on deferred payments, ' whether seloctecl in ono or more lots, and at one time, or at different times, and irrespective'altogether of whether he may have, previuus to any second selection, made his first selection freehold; and that as regards residence, a compliance with the requirements of the Act in ■" respect of one allotment should be sufficient, Providing that if a settler hold ' deferred-payment and .perpetual-lease \ land, he should have'a right to elect which allotment he will fulfil the residence • conditions. ' ; Providing that the capitalisation system should be extended to holders of pastoral deferred-payment licenses, Providing that temporary occupation licenses might beissuedbythe Landßoard for lands open for sale, but not disposed of, and for other Crown lands over which no pastoral license exists, but that if tho area of land included in any such temporary license exceeds 640 acres, then such temporary licenses should be disposed of by auction. .. Providing for the reduction of the mg set price or perpetual-lease or deferred? • payment land by 25' per cent,, after the* same has remained open for a full yearwithout being disposed of, the same remaining open for application at the" reduced price to the first applicant; but. the Commissioner of Crown Lands to advertise, one month before tho reduction in price comes into effect, a list 'of the. i sections so reduced..; , Providing that the term "-same time," in section 9. of : .the Land Act, 1877, Amendment Act, 1882, shall be altered to "same day."