CLOSER SETTLEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 669, 20 November 1909, Page 7

CLOSER SETTLEMENT.

;';Vp4STOEA£; ! EU>i3>IN" '■ A deputation of Cahterbnry members waited" .oil the .Primi),..Minister, yesterday in his cap-, acityof Minister'forLanils regarding the Mac-' kenzio iV .;. '■. ' ■■'- -...'.' ;: Sir William StowavtVexplauied.tho position. After referring to the'fact : that avconimissioir. had sent in. a report and a'minority report" on the anu'that an official commission, was inspecting;the ; runs with.-a!view ; .to ■their, boing .cut'.up tor closer settlement, he ; said'the deputation wished .toLurge/thatto. coies where: the .runs could be .satisfac'torily ivprkpd in" small-:'areas "they should"ue^sub- , , divided."- .They; also, wished ■ tnat some, provisipn : should bo made in,regard.to greater security, of .tenure, •' sP that'•; tho capacity of' tho; runs: should., not .'.be i allowed -to.-, deteriorate. ••;-,' % he',. lessees'uudDr presont. conditions' could, not bo expected to'.ispond much^raoney.'in;.improve-, ine,nts if they.could not. at - the ( ond of theirlease get compensation; for such I At , the end of thpleasoa man had at present toVtake his chance of securing/a renewal^at public auction. Hβ thoughta fair; valuation should be: provided, for, and.,that a. lessee 'should; in tho : event'.of the'cutting up of. a run,' bo"allowed, at all eventsi to securo- a renewal of that, tho;.run■ on. which his homestead was! In> regard ..to .the, ! official, commission that was 'how inspecting .the. runs, it had been stated :that they jwpuld not be able j to ' uring , down "their, roport, for.; about two months, .60"thttt'therje'.would not be.,time .to, ,deil witli.the•.waiter this session.* ;]_:.. J,.:,; •Mr. Craigie (Timaru) and • Mr. ,T. JE. Taylor(Christchurch o North), afid other..speakers;also; addressed tho Prime , Minister. ■-..■. Sir Joseph Ward said .tho niatter. was a very important one, 'Ho would, not. like .to; hurry tho commission that, was inspecting tho mns because it: was .very .important that tho work should'bo thoroughly done. The present commission was closely examining tho country with a view 1 to it couldbe sub-dividedin 'the interests of closer.settlement...As.to<tenure thore werii certain provisions in the Land 3iH. regarding l :it. ' A.great deal'could, bo said on both'" sidos as to tho right of renewal. It would certainly bo better to secure ments than'to havpdoterioration. .That was ft,"point the. Government would endeavour to malo. ■'■■H he could ..not obtain the. necessary information: from" the .official; commission.; no-if 'examining the riins .in time" for Parliament to ■jbtV.tWs- . session," he ■• thouglit ■ it;. would ■ bo.. a reasonable thing rto citehd the present: leases .'for twelve-rapnths.•'., ■■";.■...■.' :r,i -\- :,...-■ / ■ :