ON SOLDIERS' LAND.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 223, 19 September 1919, Page 6

ON SOLDIERS' LAND.

THE GRAZDTG Or STOCK. ; iFOR BENEFIT OF THE MEX. •jßy Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) OKBISTCHURCH. this day. ' The Commissioner of Crqwn Lands ' referred to-day to certain remarks he; made at Tuesday's meeting- of the LanJ IBoard about people who, without authority, grazed stock on areas ac- '• quired for soldier settlements, an action" ■which he described as theft of a very i ; mean and despicable kind. He said to-| day that his remarks were meant for:' general application, but so far as the' Coldstream Estate, which be speeineallv; , mentioned, was concerned, they did not apply. When the estate was sold some' three weeks ago, the agents asked if they could get grazing on the Cold- ' stream Estate as a holding place until, they could make some other arrangements. He had agreed to this, and wnen he heard the other day that sheep were etifl on Coldstream he had felt surprised that they were kept there so long. He had since learned that the sheep had been kept on Coldstream ■nith the intention of disposing of thorn to successful applicants for sections in the settlement at exactly the same pnee at which they were bouirht. and that the agents held the sheep" with a! view of assisting the discharged eoldiers. Mr. Haszard stated it was subsequently ascertained that it was Mr. John Grigg, of Longbeach, who had bought cheep with the ohject of letting successful applicants for Coldstream get them at the same price.