CROWN TENANTS AND THE FREEHOLD.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12850, 8 July 1907, Page 6

CROWN TENANTS AND THE FREEHOLD.

In advocating that Crown tenants should get the option of acquiring the freehold, we have always held that the terms of purchase should be settled either by a Parliamentary Committee or Eome impartial authority outside Parliament, with a view to arriving at an equitable adjustment. Mr Massey, it will be seem from our Parliamentary intelligence this morning, ie still willing, as he was in 1905. that tho matter should bo gone into by com petent actuaries and settled on their ro port. That seems to us a fair solution of the problem. We do not think that Parliament would agree now to givo the tenants the option to purchase at the original valuation, but we consider that the terms should be sufficiently favourable to make it worth the tenante' while to convert the : r holdings into freehold. It is absurd to talk about " making a huge present " to the tenants of money belonging to " the State " if they are allowed to convert. Tho present of the State's money was made to them when the 999 years' leasej wore granted, which is sufficient.improved by the fact that some of thaw who have sold out to other settlers, ha/o got ac much as £6 or £7 an acre for tho goodwill of the lease. Everybody will agree that the 999 years' leaso was a mistake, and as it is impossible for tho State to rescind or olter the contract without the consent of tho other party, tho only way to retrieve tho mistake is to give the tenants something in exchange which they are prepared to accept, and which at the same time will prove beneficial to tho State. The only thing which meets both these requirements is the freehold. Its advantages to tho settler are obvious, while the State will benefit by the land being on the wholo better cultivated and by tho increased prosperity and thrift of tho producers, while on the other hand the purchase money will be available for tho purpose of settling other colonists on tho land, instead of having to borrow tho funds in the London market. As to the "unearned increment/ about which so much is said, a great part of it rightiy belongs to tho man who cultivates the soil, end so long as a substantial landtax is levied in this colony, the State will always retain an interest in the land and receive a fair share of its proceeds.