LAND AGGREGATION.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 91, 30 March 1911, Page 8

LAND AGGREGATION.

BY FAMILIES.

Wellington, Mar. 30.

The Commissioner of Crown Lands at Wellington, at a meeting of the Land Board to-day, spoke strongly against the aggregation of large areas of Crown Lands by families. At a previous meeting of the board an application by ’E. C. Alien, holder of two sections in Ngamatea survey district, to transfer the same to F. Robinson, was refused on account of family aggregation of are Mr. Robinson, sen., a successful bush settier (now retired) of over thirty years’ standing, attended today and asked the board to reconsider its decision. He was willing and readv. it was stated on his behalf, to guarantee his son’s overdraft at the bank, and otherwise assist him if he proved a good farmer. The board was asked not to put obstacles in the way of such a desirable settler acquiring land which would be worked by the holder.

The Commissioner pointed out that Robinson, sen., held 2-.W acres of native land, his eldest son 1171, his wife iolu, and it did not seem to be carrying out the spirit o' the Land Act to grant another member of the family a considerable area. It savoured of land aggregation, and land was becoming scarctr every day. If. as was threatened. Robinson paid .'53 per cent, of the land's capital value, and so removed the matter outside the jurisdiction of the board, that was a matter for the law itself. The board could not help that. The application will be considered in committee.