REVALUATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 234, 4 October 1927, Page 9

REVALUATION.

EXTENSION OF PRIVILEGE.

AMENDING BILL, INTRODUCED.

REMISSION OF INTEREST. (By Telegraph. — Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Monday. The principal clause in an amendment to the Lands Act, introduced by Governor's Message in the House to-night, is an extension of the provision for the revaluation of the Crown lands held under lease. The provisions of . the principal Act relating to revaluation are extended to apply to rural Crown lands or settlement lands held under license to occupy pending purchase on deferred payments. This procedure could be set in motion by the lessee in three years, but not longer than six years, after taking up the lease, but the amending bill rdmoves the limitation for revaluation.

For the purpose of this provision a board, comprising the Under-Secretary of Lands, the Valuer-General and a land purchase inspector, is to be appointed to consider applications for revaluation.

The Prime Minister, when the bill was introduced, explained that in connection with the extension of O.R.P. licenses the conditions were formerly settled in case of dispute by an umpire arranged between the Crown and the .tenant. The bill now provides definitely that the umpire shall be a magistrateAnother amendment in the bill relates to national endowment land. Portions may be excluded from the national endowment for settlement under inferior lands settlement conditions. The law provided that in such a case a special valuation should be made to ascertain the value of the area so excluded and the amount paid from the Consolidated Fund to the National Endowment Trust Account. This provision, however, the bill seeks to repeal.

Another section extends from 1927 till 1930 the time within which licenses to occupy Crown land may be held with the right of purchase.

There are many departmental clauses, such as giving the right, where mortgaged property has been unsuccessfully offered at auction, to dispose of it privately, while lands classified as town, suburban or village lands may be offered without specifying the upset price if the term of purchase is less than three years.

Authority is given to land boards to remit rent owing on a discharged soldier's holding now held by a nonsoldier, and it may remit wholly or in part the interest payable by a discharged soldier settler in respect of the purchase money payable on land subject to the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act. The benefits of the Deteriorated Lands Act, 1925, are extended to cover "section two" lands under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act.