LAND TENURE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 169, 17 July 1907, Page 6

LAND TENURE.

A MJSAPJ'REBQEN.SION REMOVED. STATEMENT BY SIR JOSEPH WAEJ). (Bjr Telegraphs-Parliamentary Keporter.) WELIjINGTOST, Tuesday. A great deal of the leasehold protest and freehold jubilation over the Financial Statement was based on the announcement that "the present holders of leases in perpetuity will be offered the option of the freehold" at a price to be fixed by arbitration, or, in other words, at the present valuation of the holdings. This was interpreted to cover land for settlement land as well as ordinary Crown land. Speaking to a "Lyttelton Times" reporter, Sir Joseph Ward said that he had been misunderstood on the point. "The -option of the freehold will be offered to holders of leases in perpetuity over ordinary Crown lands," "he said. "It will , not be offered' to tenants under the Lands for' Settlement Act. These tenants will be allowed to pay off up to ninety per cent of the value, as proposed in last year's bill, but they will not be allowed to secure the freehold at the present valuation or any other valuation. There four thousand Crown tenants, holding. 1,800,000 acres of ordinary Crown lands. Under the lease in perpetuity these tenants are the only ones to be offered the freehold."