LAND AGGREGATION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1705, 24 March 1913, Page 7

LAND AGGREGATION.

STATEMENT BY MR. MASSEY.

REPORT BEING OBTAINED. MR. GUTHRIE EXPLAINS. POLITICAL ENGINEERING ALLEGED. Respecting tho recent allegations of land aggregation, the Prime Minister (tho Hop. W. F. Massey) stated last night that before leaving Wellington on his southern tour ho directed tho Lands Department to solid an experienced officer to tho'district in which tho aggrogaition was said to have taken place. As a result of this visit a report was to be mndc to Mr.' Massey, and it is probable tlialt tho report is now ready. "When I got the report," said tho Prime Minister, "I shall be able to say what I propose to do. As far as I can make out, the aggregation took place eomo years ago."

111 - . D. H. Guthrie, M.P. for Oroua, a district in which some aggregation is alleged to have occurred, was interviewed on the subject. He said: "Referring to recent newspaper articles dealing with ifcho aggregation of estates, the criticism, to my mind, is exceedingly unfair, as some of the papers aro seeking to attribute tho permission to aggregate to the present Government, whereas 'tho facts of tli® case are that the aggregation referred to all took iplaco under previous Administrations. | I am not aware of any aggregation having taken place in my own electorate sineo the present Government canie into office, but, on tho other hand, numerous voluntary subdivisions of property have taken place. . Statements appearing in a paper which circulates in tho distriot, which havo been copied into other papers, are expressly unfair, as tlio writer is'well aware that this aggregation is not of recent date, and is also aware of tho fact that a goad deal of what they aro referring to as aggregation is owing Ito village settlements, improved farm settlements, and small farm settlements established in tlie district having proved unsuccessful becaitso the areas of the section were ton small to allow tho settler to make a 'living. "Further," continued Mr. Gulhrio. "I would like ito add that tho recent land legislation of tlio present Government lias had nothing whatsoever to do with, any aggregation that lias taken place. In mv opinion the Govcrnmcrft ha/only followed the oft-repeated promises made to the settlers of tlie Dominion that if giv°n aii opportunity thev would grant ' the .right of freehold to Crown tenants, and .as a matter of fact aggregation is not possible under tho Act of lasit year in tho case of the land to which that Act applies. TJio absurd statement of the writer referred to* aboiA people .. going round with gold-lined' pockets intended for tlie purpose of inducing l.i.nwteriants to purchase the freehold, in'order that what it is pleased to call tho land-shark may have an opportunity of absorbing these; small holdinus. is too ab=nvi oven to reouirc contradiction. And lam convinced that if called upon,'tho-writer referred to would'fail in"being able to cito a single instance. It may also- bo explained that the large areas referred to are areas of land classified as f?cond-class and, which must bo distinguished from land suitable for ordinary agricultural purposes. There is no doubt in my mind that much of the agitation that has taken place over this matter at this particular time has been engineered purely for poli"tjcal. purposes, but, as far as the present Government is conoerned. I am quib suro that it will fail, as the allegations in connection with the Southland deal and several others have failed."