LAND SETTLEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 579, 6 August 1909, Page 6

LAND SETTLEMENT.

SPECULATION IN CROWN 5 LEABEHOim

INTERESTING- DISOUSSION.. ;; (By Telattraph—Preae Assoelatlon.)

'' :« : .<\ti; J? j -V?. Chrlstohuroh, : August. 5," ■:■ ''A discussion,. initiated;'.by the .'Comniis.lipner, for Crown' Lands',(Mr. P. W. Plana- .: gan),; ; took place ,at' a meeting, of .the Can-'.:-'torbiiiry-i(L'a^':B(iard';"'in;Xi^ard;,torßpeptJß-, tion in !Crown':leaeeholds;V ' The : Commissiotier'(.drew.'th"e'attention, of this board , to the; 'foot';' that ■■.there' were' no; fewer than sye; different applications from Crown .ten- ■'• Yn'ts ion' the'. .Rose'will; Settlement 'to transfer' ■ fceir"holding's.,"..' He' thought that tliat was .significant, and ''worthy. /of some comment. ,The nature of. .the unrest was not known; Df: course the ;board had no desh-e to stop iheitransfersof: land, but he thought.there ,waV}a diity; imposed on, the .board'to inquire Minto' , -.,transfers .before they went'through; flliere ;Was vjusti asj'great 'facility, for land *peoolation' in; the' transfer of Crown leaseiolde.' as' there:,was ,'in ; the case. of;.private arid, -the ..hoard,; knowing 'that the, ■duty ', devolved on;.it, should subject evory ; eas'e^i.to.'; close ■ scrutiny .before; tbe. transfer : 'jtook. placer, This duty was demanded of : - the board, because'on'-it'the successful, admin- .' jjstratioh.of- the Crown, .estates : largoly-de- ; jpended. The unimproved valiio of some of these properties' was -raised 'from 50 to '60 per.'cent; Settlers, as far as be was aware, '.were T ,'quite' with their holdings, ■which' were payable, ■ but when- they could .fcbtain , considerations of about'<£loo to sell "; Jut, itliey .;couldonbt overebmb. tho tempta■'tion ,to, dOi.so.'-f.There;, .were : two important • elfebts.-in , ,these transactions;- one. was .that 'the. man; coming .in. !had: to pay aiar..higher , tental'than the,; man. : 'going out, and if ho '. tvas not .in a- good financial position, the hoard would have some trouble in.recover- • ing .'rents. <It was vpnly human nature that if'.a '.man got- £300.-to £1000'. goodwill ho ■wbuldJsen , -out,..but : it hadcomo to his know- ' ledge : that,, some men, .who'had sold out were travelling r round . the country swelling the '.; ehpr'ui of'i.those, who told , the Government that there was'-no land to,acquire. The hal- ' •'. lot''system had Vbceii designed for ■ the pur- . pose of'.'relieving a ' man of 'small: means irOmhaying to; go to public auction to ac- . quire'his land, and.thus put v him on,a property, rental, .of- ..which, would .be..fixed .»t; ; a fair value.' The operation of' transfer was to. enablp a man to .sell out at a very ./■: high , consideration, and .'thereby defeat the ■•.' .very object.^which :v/as .in view' when the : Government: decided on the ballot system. .The system. ; -was subject to-hostile criticism .at th'b/pre'sent.which would' be justified-if a man/could; :in five or: six years, sell out: at e';high- figure, -especially as he was in : no sense,''entitled to : , that .goodwilli:. The lessee .: land .by . ballot for -the 'purpose ,of '■■;providing, himself '-and : lis-iwfamily.J.V'.with, r a ': homestead.' ' 'He ■ (the -speaker). .did : not ; know .what ■-idea the'' board-had oni. the matter, but the con-. '.-: elusion, -he^had-.come; to'.was that ''the'.- board . .would .require., to:'be very watchful—and more • .■watchful; now/that rigood..land was getting .soarceT—in every transfer coulu, '" Ke;justified, by. the'.facts and circumstariccs ■ bfi.the; case..-,-The, board should : diecburago : Crown lessees making their .Crown leaseholds ithe: subject, of -speculation/ ..That was the. , cause of the unrest. in- South Canterbury-at. ;,. ■, !-,i ; - ■■ M.' -.-...--.■'. ■ ".■ . Mr. I:J. 1 Gibson ; said that he agreed very .largely with.;; what; the! .commissioner 'had ,s\i.d,;arid,)the--.point. raised', was , worthy of- , 'beinff.yery..seriously -dealt with. -.The board .: irequir&d:'to_act' very-oarefully, in ..each 'case and, .ascerjkain..vthe. reason. r for.;;the.-transfers. He..;'quitei;agreed:i.withi'the .fiommis'signeT.'im' '.regaird;to.: speculation, which , seemed;-to. bo. a growing thing. Men were taking up Crown .Bectionsf and holding, them' with the distinct .., vieTV : 'of- selling again. / If;' there', was good' reason- for lessees. wishing to sell, ; :the'board ■would •; be; perfectly.. right ,in giving, them. th e opportunity, .but if it was a case,of ■- speculation : it' was' right:agamst the .spint'-qf- the -.' ( ! Act.- .; X : '^'■'^■ i ' 'i '■:.•■'-.;; v-j'' vf- ■'■ '. .; :Mr.',-Sealy vthought^that'a-lessee ;who sold out for ; speculati^3.:.-purpbses.should be. pro-' a : pait. in a. b'alloti.again. .:, . ..TheVepinmisßioner.;said -that he .was/already ■-.. '.prohibited forHwelye.moritKs..':. "■'''. ' '*.1 ...-:. Mr.i-Sealy: That is not.long enough. .He ';' should; be debarredsfor -five ;years at least .:• from going into :'cbmpetition .against." men who,have:never.held land.. .He' has had 'and , and'has;sold'it for .profit. , "',.''■' '■ :,'■.[ :The. commissioner "said that.' another thing the board''wanted' to exercise; cafe in .dealing with'-'transfers was' the.tendency tow.ards tho ■.aggregating- of-"es'tate's.';' He did' not , '-'think' ■'•'.■ that - the ; board, should agree' except -.under , ; exceptional circumstances/to allow- a man , ..; with.a family, of three ; or fbur;childien"to.go out' and, another man. to ;,'com'e '-iia , ,- ; -■ ibesirles (holding the section "alongside the on-e subject ■tp:tbe- transfer.-; The settl-sments were "cut up iitto holdings bf'subh/la'me'.that' a man and ;.-his'family could;make'a;liviiig on one. The tendency - was. towards .aggregation, and it ,-. eometimes took .place, in spite ,of the board. ':... ..Mr." iGibs'on-'l/Said'.that ■: some"-settlements had be*n .'cut^up'-ihtpj:sections;-'wliioh were . not large enough for a. niakea living en. The ..board would,, have-to nse discretion. ■ ;■ ■ "The /commissionerV. -Every' case -should be . .'taken on'its rferite.-'lf this beeomes; : public]y. known; it will;be a hint .to those'who have a tendency towardßspecula.tion that they are. / not going :'to got aay consideration from the board. I recommend that these'five applicatibrie be held 'over'till next meeting, and in . -the meaitiine 1/ will have, searching inquiries made..' , ■ :.''. i -':-v!. , ;./- .. : -.'..■■-•..:. :-.'■ :'.-, '■

The applications; were accordingly hefctoven