REVALUATION BOARD

Gisborne Times, Volume LX, Issue 9723, 5 June 1924, Page 5

REVALUATION BOARD

prime minister reviews WORK,

“T.B.’s” WELL TREATED

DUNEDIN, June 4

The Prime Minister made a statement to-day to a Daily Times reporter on the progress of the re-valuation of soldiers’ farms, the statement covering the work of the Dominion Board to the end of May. To the present time, 1774 determinations have been issued. The reports from the 23 district committees operating Jfcfiroughout the Dominion have been coming to hand freely . and" to cope with the work tho Board has found it necessary to sit continuously. The field work of the committees in the smaller land districts is nearing completion .and in the near futuve the whole of the work in such districts should be disposed of. It will be somo months before tho field work of the North Auckland, Auckland and Wellington districts will be completed. Notwithstanding that eight committees are engaged in this district, it has been stated that the determinations were not being issued as the cases were being dealt with. This was contrary to facts, as all determinations were being issued as soon as possible after each sitting of the Board. Tho determinations in each case went from* the Board to tin- settler, and a copy of the same was sent to the* Commissioner of Crown Lands for tho district, for action in accordance with the findings of the Board. The Board had a free hand in the matter of reductions, and its determinations in this respect were final. Postponement and remissions of rent and of instalment and interest outstanding at June 30 1923 also came within the jurisdiction of the Board. Remissions are not gen era! and are only granted in necessitous cases. The general policy of the Board is to grant postponements for suitable periods, not to grant remissions. It would be unfair to settlers who have paid their way, many at considerable sacrifice,' if their neighbours, who had, for various reasons, been unable to keep up their payments, were granted remissions. The Board always endeavoured to see that those settlers who had made the most of their opportunities were not penalised as compared with other settlers. In dealing with outstanding arrears, if the Board considered that relief should be given subsequent to June 39. 1923, it made a recommendation to the Land Board accordingly. as in tho case of the dry .areas of Canterbury and tho bush lands. The Board had been successful in numerous cases in obtaining a reduction or discharge of private mortgages, while a number of second mortgages had been purchased at a discount, where the amounts were , small; but large private mortgages were not bekLg acquired. Regarding additional i®vances for stocking and improving, l] Mie Board had no jurisdiction, as the power to finance for such purposes was vested in Land Boards and the Minister of Lands. Some settlers were under the impression that the Board could authorise additional advances, on current account, but all such requests should be made to the local Land Board. Everything in connection with the, business of revaluation was working smoothly and the Board was fully alive to the necessity for expedition. Special cases, of course, received special consideration, such as the Hei Hei settlement near Christchurch. This land was purchased with the view of settling “T. 8.” men, the .land being dry and suitable to their health. As the proof of this, there had been no returns to hospital of any cf the settlers. The settlers stated that, in the event of re-valuation, the possible small amount of reduction would not assist them, and they agreed that the building instalments wore fair and that they had the use of cheap money. In order to meet the position, the Board recommended that three veal's’ rent, amounting to £3OO. and three years’ interest cn advances, amounting to £743. be remitted to the ten settlers, and the Minister of Lands had approved of this proposal. —P.A.