CROWN LEASES.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20463, 5 February 1932, Page 14

CROWN LEASES.

_—« —_ TENANTS' RIGHTS TO REVALUATION. LETTER FROM MINISTER. The Canterbury Chamber of Commerce recently .wrote to the minister for Lands (Hon. E. A. Ttansoin) enquiring whether the Government was giving facilities for the revaluation of Crown leaseholds used for primary production in cases of hardship resulting from tli<i present financial conditions. The-Minister'a reply, received at last night's meeting of the executive of the Chamber, stated that Section 210 of the Land Act, 1924, as amended 'by Section 13 of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1927, made provision, whereby landa of the Crown may be revalued on the a-ppiication of any tenant occupying "under any of the following tenures:— > ;; (a) Tlenewablc leases (of both ordinary Crown land and of settlement land). (b) Occupation with right of purchase. (c)-Lands disposed of: under discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act, 19 in.' (d) Licenses of kauri-gum lands. (e) Small -grazing run leases. (f) Deferred payment licenses of Crown and" settlement land. Applications for Relief. "The facilities for revaluation provided by the enactment above-men-mentioned, "• ran the letter, "are in constant - operation, and a vcrv ls.rgc number of Crown tenants have "had re-, course to them. Applications for relief in this respect must be made by the individuals concerned, and are dealt with . finally oil - the recommendations made by the Central Revaluation Board. '' With regard to pastoral ruiis, the great- majority of which are let at what may be regarded as very reasonable fents in normal circumstances, no provision exists for reducing rents by way "of revaluation. "Your letter mentions that power to reduce the rents' of pastoral runs is undoubtedly given by Section 276 of the Land Act, 1924; I presume you intended to reiser to Section 277 of that Act.. This latter Section 277. gives, no specific power' to reduce rents- as . a matter , cff-fact it was enacted for the purpose, of enabling them to be increased as a set off against the concessions _tha.t may. be granted under that section.: "Up .to the present it has not. been deemed; expedient to make general provision Jfor. the revaluation of pastoral runs. • Ilowever, ample facilities ■ are" afforded; by which the lessees can - obtai» relief in cases of hardship, inasmiielv .'can. -apply. under Section 124 of the Laud,- Act, 5J.92-4,- for. relief in cases of hardship by way of remissions or postponement-of rents for anv p.efiod not exceeding live years. * - Lessees' Concessions. r ' " Furthermore, it is open W such lessees to-apply for any of thc_ contest axons- mentioned - belpw:—- ' - r "Section 272 of the Land Act 19"/" empowers Mhiistef Lands ahd the Land Board to extend for any period ; not exceeding seven years, the term of any pastoral license where the licensee'; has suffered any; substantial loss as tW

| result of general financial stringency, | !, etc. . ' - - . .'•'Section 272 of the Laud Act, 1924; | empowers the Land Board, with the approval of tlio Minister for Lands, to extend for any period not - exceeding fourteen years any pastoral "lease issued •not later than February 11th, 1922."' The Minister added that he was " forwarding to the Ministers concerned the representations of the executive with respect to arrears: of interest due by occupiers to the State Advances and Public Trust Office. j The letter, which was considered an -important one, was referred to the Rural Interests Committee . for a report. -