STATE ADVANCES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 276, 20 November 1926, Page 19

STATE ADVANCES.

ON DETERIORATED LANDS. CONSERVING STATE INTERESTS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) IE AWAMUTU, Friday. After inspecting the abandoned "see- | tions at Pirongia the Minister of Land* j (Hon. A. D. McLeod), and Minister of Agriculture (Hon. O. J. Hawken) and! party, were entertained at dinner by the I committee set up to further the obtaining of legislation to enable the bringing i of the sections into cultivation. During the course of his reply to a rote of ! thanks for their visit, Mr. McLeod said! anything his Department could do in reason would be done to clear up the! difficulty; but there were obstacles ; specific laws could not be passed deal- j ing with land titles for individual dis- , tncts. It was important that titles j generally should not be jeopardised. Xo government should be weak enough to ! impenl the freehold title with individual legislation. However, if the position at Pirongia could not be entirely cleared up part of it could be. So long as the : responsibility of any considerable ex- '< pense was taken off the shoulders of the Government, his Department would oo 8 11 it could. Occupancy was a factor, for occupants should "contribute more than the general body of the taxpayers for any alteration in the tenure at Pirongia. The Dominion could not ' afford to have any idle lands that were fit for cultivation. The Deteriorated Lands Act was designed particularly for Crown leaseholders, but there was a danger that it was growing beyond the scope intended. If the Crown's assets were going back it was the State's duty to come in and assist to conserve that asset. While there was a good deal to be said in favour of assisting freeholders, the Government was limited as to funds, and must first consider the leaseholders. The Advances to Settlers Department would advance up to 7~, per cent for improvements. and its machinery had been so improved that it was able to say within an month of any application coming j n when moneys would be available. As regards Pirongia. he would make no promise, but would look fully into the position when he returned to Wellington. |