HOLDING THE BALANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 36, 11 August 1933, Page 6

HOLDING THE BALANCE

CEOWN TENANTS AND „ CEOWN

LAND BOARDS' WORK PRAISED

(By Telegraph.) (Special to tho "Evening Post.") DUlf EDIN, This Day.Speaking at a meeting of the. Otago Laud Board, tho Minister of Lands, (the 'Hon.- E. A. Bansom) said he was firmly convinced that not only at present, but iv the near future, . they would sco a decided improvement hi tho price of wool. The Government's representatives in London ■ t ha'd expressed tho opinion, that wool- was going to be one of the first' things to recover. . ' ; \<, , ■, " Tho Minister added that ho appreciated very much what the land boards were doing. The period through which thoy were passing was a difficult one for boards, departments, and the Government, and it was for land boards to.endeavour to hold tho balanco between. Crown tenants and the Crown and to~ deal with them as equitably and as fairly aa possible. In fact, somo Crown tenants and other people, when they roferred to what the Government should do or what it should not do, seemed to.regard the Government as a body apart from the general taxpayer. He wanted the > people to realise Hhat when they referred to the Government they referred to themselves, and that any burden put on the Government was a burden put on the general taxpayer, including the Crown tenants. He regarded the work of the land boards as necessary to the country, as the members had a knowledge of local conditions. As a." farmer himself, he recognised, having travelled from North Capo to the Bluff, that different methods of farming required local knowledge, so ho considered that not only did tho land boards supply that local knowlodge for tiio guidance of the Government and the Department, but at tho same timo they acted as a very useful buffer between 'the Government and Crown: tenants. Coming to the question of distribution of tho proceeds of farms, Mr. Bansom. said he thought that the Crown should not have to carry the whole burden of making concessions,, but that these should bo shared by stock and 'station firms and the banks. He was glad to see that that was being done. He wanted tho board members to, know that tho Govornmont was taking a very keen interest in thoir work, which waa assisting in .the restoration of tho prosperity of tho Dominion; and ho thought that if each and every one of them assis'tocl it would' not bo long bofore they saw New' Zealand on tho road to prosperity once again.