HIGH-COUNTRY LEASES

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28906, 28 May 1959, Page 15

HIGH-COUNTRY LEASES

Lincoln Reply To Criticism

“From the published reports of his remarks to the conference of the New Zealand Catchment Boards’ Association at Napier it seems that Mr Beatty has been unjust and unfair to both the Crown and this college in his strong comments on present day high-country leases,” said the Director of Canterbury Agricultural College, Dr. M. M. Burns, last evening. He was commenting on remarks made by Mr T. R. Beatty, president of the Catchment Boards’ Association, about the administration of high country leases by the Crown and Canterbury Agricultural College. These were published in “The Press” yesterday. “Over recent years the terms of leases have been markedly improved, both for the protection of the country and for the benefit of the lessee,” said Dr. Burns. “The board of governors of this college is keenly interested in its four endowment leases. Experienced members of the board and the staff have visited the properties regularly and in so far as is possible under the clauses of the existing leases the college has insisted on good land use practices. This has been particularly true in restriction of burning and the college has consistently supported the policy of the Soil Conservation Council, a fact which Mr Beatty can verify by reference to officers of the council. “Criticism of the extraction of rentals with no thought for the welfare of the land is ill-founded , and is certainly not applicable to the past decade. “The college would welcome a visit from Mr Beatty at any time sp that he can give the facts on the four endowment leases handled by the college.”