DEMAND FOR LAND

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 97, 21 October 1932, Page 9

DEMAND FOR LAND

WELL MAINTAINED

HELP FOR SETTLERS

Selections of Crown and settlement lands on all tenures during the last financial year totalled 406,408 acres. The number of1 selections was 1448. The number of permanent selections of rural lands was 456, involving an acreage of 142,666, while there vrere 216 entirely new rural areas selected, covering 45,809 acres. These facts are contained in the annual report on the settlement of Crown lauds, which was presented to Parliament to-day. The report mentions that the demand for land has, on the whole, been well maintained particularly for mediumsized areas of unimproved and partially improved land. Tenants at 31st March numbered 37,423, occupying a total area of over 19,000,000 acres. Pastoral runs account for approximately 9,000,000 acres and 1,879,000 acres arc of purchased estates held under lease. The receipts from all sources showed a decrease of £229,211. Bents, the payment of which remained postponed at 31st March, amounted to £182,045, while remissions totalled £.43,500. Arrears of rent at 31st March totalled £807,311. For prompt payment of rent, 15,144 Crown tenants were granted rebates amounting to £34,300. The report maintains that concessions must continue to be granted to Crown settlers until the general price level improves. Under existing conditions, no action is being taken by the Department to deprive farmers of their holdings merely on account of non-pay-ment of rent. Where the situation is beyond a settler's control, it is recognised that it would be unjust to displace him, and it is considered most undesirable to interfere with production unless tho settler's methods of farm-management are radically wrong. Dealing with the proposal that there should bo a general writing clown of capital, the report states that there is ample- authority for postponement and remission of rents and for revaluation of Crown leaseholds. The Department considers these provisions to bo sufficient to meet reasonable requirements, and it did not appear that any general revaluation was necessary or desirable. In dealing with Crown lands, the interests of tho Dominion as a whole must be properly safeguarded and Crown assets, as represented by the capital values of leased lands, must not be unduly sacrificed, the report states. Revaluation of Crown leaseholds should be kept under close control; for while revaluation was useful up to a certain point it was not, and never had been, the obvious solution of all farming problems. The balance must, in the best interests of all, be held fairly between the Crown and its tenants, and the position could not be approached solely from the ono point of view.