THE SOUTHLAND LEASE.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14583, 6 February 1913, Page 8

THE SOUTHLAND LEASE.

(special to "thb press.")

WELLINGTON, February 5. ■. Opposition journals, which have lately - been accusing the Government of part*.' 1 ing with tho Southland lcase-in-per- ~ petuity section, plus certain mineral do* ' posits, at a price equivalent to the sur* *' face rights only, have made much of , tho delay which occurred beforo tho f , Prime Minister furnished a reply to tho . accusation. This aspect of tho matter.>i was mentioned to Mr Massey to-day. {' I Ho remarked that ho was travelling'!!! - > tho North when the subject ivas first' , mentioned in the newspapers, and tb-t>;e nothing official came to him regarding it until he reached Wellington, then only at his own request. He bu"le;j seen the statements in the and on returning to Wellinston in- V structed the Crown Law Office to for- - nish a report. This could not be dono - unti! the lease and other particular*. 0«- ;- ---the transaction had been obtained froo Southland. These facts, Mr Massoy.ro-.. marked, fully accounted for the tiffl° that had been spent in dealing with tho matter. The section of the Land Ace which governs tho Southland lease-ny perpetuity and similar leases first appeared as Section 121 of the Act « t 1892, and now appears as Section 14)» of the Land Act, 1908 (Consolidated).