The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1885. SPECIAL SETTLEMENTS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2124, 20 October 1885, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1885. SPECIAL SETTLEMENTS.

Until the regulations under the new Land Act have lieen gazetted, there will he room for a good deal of speculation as to the conditions which will attach to the settlement of a portion of the Mangatainoke Block by Small Farm Associations under the Perpetual Leasing system. Although the maximum amount at which the land may be valued lias been fixed, the members of the two Associations aro as yet in ignorance of the amount of rent they will be required to pay, Nor do they know whether they will have the privilege of transfering their interests, which is extended to those who take up separate sections under the system, | Then, also, the question of surveys arises, In the case of deferred pay- i ment settlements the settlers are re- i quired to pay for the survey, but | nothing is as yet known what conditions will be imposed in this respect 1 on associated perpetual lessees. With J regard to the first point—the valua- ' tion of the land—wo believe that the i settlers have no reason to be other than I satisfied, for it is understood that the 1 maximum shall not exceed twenty-five shillings por acre, If land offered on perpetual lease is disposed of by auction, the highest bidder in reality becomes the valuer, and ho secures the land at his own valuation, The associated settlers are thus given a material advantage. Wo venture to iay that in the case of the Mangatainoke somo very high rents would have :o be paid if the land too thrown jpen; not, perhaps, so much because -he land iu good, but because it has jeen so much talked about ibont that there would be applicaiions from all parts of the colony. Hie part of the regulations referring to .'ablation may, therefore, be expected io be quite satislkctoiy. The right to iransfer an interest in a section which forms part of a special settlement is a luestion of considerable importance to lie perpetual leaseholder. He may be >f opinion that the annual payment ot > per cent on the capital value is satisactory, and, therefore, prefer not to mrchase, We think that a large lumber will persue this course. He onld not very reasonably be expected 0 hold the lease for an indefinite ieriod, A rule providing that the sase may be disposed of after certain mprovementshavebeen carried out will robably be inserted, and, if not too (ringent, should fairly meet the case, lie question of paying for the survoy 1 also a very important one, In the ise of deferred payment Associations le land is practically sold at the outit, but in that of the perpetual leaseolder the Crown retains tho title, hieh can only be applied for after a Main period has elapsed. Here, jain, tho possible preference to remain leaseholder becomes an important ctor. It would seem unfair that a aseholder should pay for the cost oi, rrey, because it would tax him for

twice the assessed value of the land to begin with. If lie intends to purchase,, the unfairness is, to a certain extent, removed, though we are of opinion that the Government might very well bear at least a portion of the cost of survey to.come even from deferred payment Associations. On the side of the Government it might lie said that the settlers are getting the land on advantageous terms, and without risk of competition, und that they can,' therefore, afford to pay for the sectional survey. The question is the most important of tho three we have touched upon, and we trust that the new regulations will be issued at an early date, so that the intended settlers may not be long in suspense as to their real position.