THE LAND COMMISSION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 78, 1 April 1905, Page 6

THE LAND COMMISSION.

(Special to the "Star.")

DUNTROON, Friday,

The Land Commission drove from Ngapaxa to Tokarahi this morning, taking a round-about route in order to odtain a view of the settlement. It was therefore nearly mid-day before the taking of evidence was commenced, and a large number of witnesses came forward. A diversity of opinion upon the freehold question was manifested, three of the witnesses expressing a desire to have the option of acquiring the freehold, while four or five were content with lease-in-perpetuity, and declared themselves averse to varying the terms of leases by granting freehold option. The chief reason given by the advocate*; of granting freehold was that they feared political pressure would at some time cause revaluation of leaseholds, and a consequent increase of rentals. One witness said he believed this would come about through pressure of the labour and city members of Parliament, but he admitted that he had no reason for believing that the principle of revaluation would be made retrospective. Two tenants on Tokarahi settlement went so far as to say that they thought the State should not part with the freehold of any more land. One of these went into details of a settlement at Otiake to show the effect of permitting settlers to acquire the freehold. These thirty-! two settlers had dwindled to sixteen,! and one settler who started with a good farm had become possessed of 1700 acres, another of 1300, and a third of 900 acres. One of the witnesses thought some part of the increased value of land belonged to the State, and said that part should be secured by means of taxation. Another witness thought revaluation at long intervals, say, once in a life-time, or every fifty years, would be a fair thing. At the close of the Tokarahi meeting the Commission drove round by way of Maerewhenua settlement to Duntroon.