NEW LANDS COMMISSIONER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 210, 29 May 1908, Page 6

NEW LANDS COMMISSIONER.

. ■———* ———■ . ■ MR. MACKENZIE WELCOMED. • At yesterday's sitting of the District Land Board, Mr. JV Mackenzie notified , the Board that lie, had been appointed Commissioner of Crown Lands'for the Wellington Land District as from May 1. Mr. Reese, on behalf of the members, welcomed Mr. Mackenzie, and that the . invariably harmonious relations existing between all members of the Board would continue as hitherto. . In replying, Mr. Mackenzie thanked Sir. Reese for his kind remarks,- and gave an interesting sketch of his career from the time' he arrived in Wellington in 1872 as a junior . field surveyor. About. 1880, lie entered the Wellington office as chief draughtsman,. where lie remained for 26 years, after which he went to Taranaki as Commissioner, .and later to Auckland. He was .greatly pleased to be back in his own district, although ho had a great love for the Par North, .and. an admiration for its people. The chief centro of settlement'was likely to be in the north, as great areas of Crown and Native lands there, were still unsettled, very much more so in the Auckland .than in the Wellington back country. One result was that a large number of New Zealand's young men were moving northwards. ,' The speaker had always sympathised with the settlers, for he had' been a good; deal amongst them while in the north, and lie , well knew the hard conditions under . which, they: lived, and. no Commissioner. .could,,hope to grapple with the diffi-. cultios,.of. the. settlers. unless'he ; had closely' associated with them. When . there was any' doubt, in matters that came before tho Bpard, the man. who did the work on the {and, and brought the wilderness into subjection, should certainly have'the benefit of it, and the sympathy of the Board, and in good cases a,point could he stretched in their favour. On the other hand, members should use their discretionary powers when dealing with men who only encumbered the land; they should be, got. rid of. He was assured that, having practical settlers on the Board, it would be enabled to grapple successfully with settlers' problems. In conclusion, tho speaker-said that he had no doubt that his relations with the Board would be as happy as with the two: Boards ho had previously sat upon.