SELLING THE LAND.

Bush Advocate, Volume I, Issue 73, 23 October 1888, Page 2

SELLING THE LAND.

The following pertinent remarks upon this mbject appeared in the Wellington Evening Press :-*-In our Pahiatua correspondent's letter will be founda complaint as to the want of practical publicity given to* the sale of Crown lands and the meagre and even misleading nature of the information supplied to the public. Our correspondent sends us a typical, plan, lithographed at the Survey Office, August 1888. On this plan it is stated that on and after the 16th October next certain 2nd clasa lauds of the Waihoki-Makoura block will be open for sale or selection at 10s an acre. The only reference from this notification to the plan is to Blocks VIII and XII, Puketoi, and Blocks V and IX Aohanga. By the plan the Blocks VIII and V are not defined at all, except on the Southern boundary. While blocks VII and IX are cut up into -various sections, there is nothing on the plan to show whether these sections are to be sold separately or what their acreage is. There is no doubt that our correspondent's complaint as to the great practical difficulty in getting information as to these bush lands is well grounded, and the result is that the best lands generally fall into the hands of some "knowing" man who has "spotted" them. Some years ago a transaction of this kind occurred in the same district as that in which the blocks now offered lie, and it led to a general belief that a sale had been got up by the Land Board of. various lands, dotted abou.fc \x\ djflerenfc places so as to ma^e a coyer for the aale of a largo an.4 valuable block Qf &OQQ acres to m w*W*w}> T h <*jft mto w

question whatever .th^rth^lcbuwe,: taken by the Land Board in disposing 4 of Crown Lands is almost^heSceyierije : : of that taken by an auc|ipne^r^of ; private lands. We have ?f pnly^p *; contrast Mr T. Kennedy;Ma ; odQaiid's^ process and ' that : of the '^''.%sps'-' Board. But then Mr T. K6nhe|yi Macdpnald's object is to cut up and sell his client's lands to the best advantage, and to do this he not only consults; the interest 61' the possible -buyers, but' givißs the widest pujblicijty and the completest information; and, as a result, obtains large" competition and the confidence of seller and buyer. So great is the* contrast -betweenr she J proceedings of Mr ; ,T. Kennedy j&facdonald and thosp';of the Eanfi Jloard that it is not surprising that the public should come to believe that the last thing the Board wishes is publicity or competition, and to look with suspicion upon all they do. It is not a question: of cost; Mr.i T. Kennedy Macdonald would sell all the public lands in the colony oil a commission of £5 per cent. : whereas the land administration of this colony shows a charge on the year's land: sales of Vfh per cebt. for the Land" ! Board machinery only, with a further charge on the year's land sales of 60 per cent, for the Survey Department.