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Pbbcis of the Commissioners' Bepokts.

Mr. G. J. Muelleb, Auckland. Page. Deposit with applications necessary. Present system favours moneyed persons .. .. 4 Wealthy people, clerks, &c, apply in considerable numbers .. .. .. .. .. 4 Transfers too easily effected .. .. 4 Transfers afcer first twelve months encourage dummyism .. .. .. .. 4 Proposals. 1. Deposit to be made with applications .. .. 4 2. Amend declaration forms to include " for purposes of cultivation either for or by myself " .. 4 3. Amend cash application forms to read "that I am of the age of twenty-one years or upwards ".. 4 4. Bar married women if husband already a lessee or licensee, unless living apart and judicially separated from husband .. .. .. 4 5. Proposes several amendments of Act .. .. 4 6. As regards holdings under Part 111. of "The Land Act, 1892," make transfers more difficult and only possible after three years, and after effecting improvements equal to 30 per cent, on capital value and complying with residence for two years; in the case of cash applications, after three years and when improvements have been made; small grazing-runs only to be transferred after three years and two years' residence .. .. .. .. 4 7. Waiving of residential conditions on bush and swamp lands .. .. .. 5 8. Special consideration to be given in the case of death of selector, &o. .. .. .. 5 9. Landless applicants might have priority if deemed advisable .. .. .. 5 Mr. E. 0. Gold Smith, Hawke's Bay. Only under Land for Settlements that capitalists have advantage, as deposits are required .. 6 Proposals. 1. To regulate transfers .. .. .. .. 6 2. Enforce strict residence .. .. .. 6 3. Empower Board to reject applications that are speculative .. .. .. .. 6 4. Transfers might be barred for ten years (or altogether), and only allowed for sufficient reasons and provided that no profit be made .. 6 5. Board should have power to reject applications from bank managers, clerks, &c, and their wives, which now swamp out bond fide applications .. .. .. .. .. 7 6. Amend declaration forms to include '' for my own use and for bond fide occupation " .. .. 7 7. Family dummyism—all members of a family applying on the same capital. This should be stopped. Wives and daughters should only apply on their own capital .. .. .. 7 8. Grouping deters bond fide selectors. Applicants should be allowed to apply in more than one group and up to the maximum area of Act .. 7 As to ordinary Crown lands :— Some of the foregoing amendments and suggestions apply to land under this head; transfers only after bond fide residence ; extended power to Boards to reject speculative applications ; amendment of declaration forms 7 Pour years too long to defer residence on bush lands; encourages speculation; two years or even one year best .. .. .. 7 Applicants most frequently unsuccessful might have portion of block auctioned .. .. 8 Grouping might be abandoned .. .. 8 Mr. J. Mackenzie, Taranaki. Board to have discretionary power in selection of applicants .. .. .. .. .. 8 At recent sale all the sections fell into the hands of speculators .. .. .. .. .. 8 Combinations by persons to secure sections comprise two classes —viz., the rich speculator who desires to make more money, and secondly, the poor man to increase his chances and obtain a home for himself and family .. .. .. 8 |

Proposals. Page. 1. Board to have power to decide who should go to ballot, and no appeal to be allowed against such decision .. .. .. .. 8 2. Preference to be given to landless persons, those employed in the back-block districts, and those accustomed to a country or farming life .. 8 3. Restrict members of one family to one section .. 8 4. Advisable to leave whole matter to discretion of Board .. .. .. .. .. 8 Mr. J. Stbauchon, Wellington. Describes and discusses six different systems applied to the disposal of Crown lands, viz.:— 1. By taking possession of land for a given time 9 2. By priority of application .. .. .. 9 3. By allotment to associations .. .. 9 4. By auction .. .. .. .. 9 5. By tender .. .. .. .. 9 6. By application upon a given day .. 10 As systems 1, 2, and 3 are unsuitable, and auction and tender undesirable, resort to ballot necessary 10 Proposals. 1. Only one member of a family to participate, unless over twenty-one years of age and applying for himself .. .. .. .. .. 10 2. Landless persons to have preference— (a.) Married men with children .. .. 10 (6.) Married men without children .. 10 (c.) Widows with children capable of assisting 10 (d.) Married women with similar families who are judicially separated from their husbands .. .. .. .. 10 (c.) Single young men, twenty-one years of age and upwards .. .. .. .. 10 3. Single men under twenty-one years of age not to be eligible ; generally, they do not reside, and frequently are acting only for parents, and usually have no money of their own .. 10 4. Single women to be barred ; they cannot comply with residential conditions and live on land alone .. .. .. .. .. 10 5. Board to have special power to reject applications from persons of wealth, members of families and friends, inexperienced persons, and those without sufficient means .. .. .. 10 6. Sections to be opened in groups .. 10 7. Applicants to furnish evidence as to means, &c, which should not be less than one-fourth capital value of the land selected under Part 111. of " The Land Act, 1892 " .. .. ..10 8. Persons of little means or no means to be dealt with under the improved-farm and village-homestead settlement systems .. .. .. 11 9. Transfers to be barred until selector has resided three years and complied with conditions .. 11 10. Residence on bush lands to commence in two years .. .. .. .. .. 11 Mr. C. W. Adams, Marlborough. Does not approve of the ballot system, which is fully criticized .. .. .. .. .. 12 Advances several arguments in favour of a modified system of auction .. .. .. .. 12 Sections to be put up to auction at fixed rental amongst approved applicants. Bidder of highest premiums to be declared successful .. 12 Proposals if Ballot preferred. 1. Should provide for determining order of choice ; each applicant in his turn to have right of choosing any available section .. 12 2. Board in first instance to admit eligible applicants only ; excluding those already in possession of sufficient land; choosing those with farming experience and capable of working the land to advantage .. .. .. .. 12 3. Preference might be given to adjoining owner .. 13 Proposals as to ballot are those of Mr. W. G. Runcie, Auditor of Land Revenue, which comprise— 1. Reception of applications up to a given date, such applications to conform to specified requirements .. .. .. .. .. 14