CLOSER SETTLEMENT URGED.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 232, 18 September 1911, Page 6

CLOSER SETTLEMENT URGED.

Hii.i.t.L‘"i)i- X V. \ \ I N< E>."l\ E i-l-1< E A.-KI.D I’ ’.. n 1 req : <l> >. V 7. : -!i. Si pt. [ 11l r. phing a <i, put.it .OH s!r .1. Ward said erupti.r:;■> Lad L,.- :i mride about the' Hila r.-«h n e-tate since the last tilin' the ter was [ae’it.i«:ii u t<» him, with the re suit that the price «-k t d was found to be ex-". -sive. It wa ‘; th e Im> unde tt duty << f (• >.>vw it ■ I'nerd not to pay more than the hind R.b wurth, bo ait-e that m> a:.: ,rt posdag a tax ttpoti the settlers wliich they ought nut to be cailt <1 to pay. Ttatre «• re [>. ’.'.l * it ;■•■ very ready to accuse the (wv. rnruent «.f pay ..I" s-ive wilrte. .-.t .i (;,,r--t rnriieu: La. l to b* -*n its K;.".r.1. He had known im-, < in '. huh tixiernn:f nt Lad Im-iu a kt.i pay t!‘> ’< r r.cre inure Ui’.tt tL«- « 'Xitc ua- worth. If Government 'had yielded, and settlers had taken up land on that . valuation and had seasons eoine, '

(b>itriiiii<t.t v.oi.!<i quickly ii:*.-. been accused of doing sovietliiri; which it ought not to have o lutnd owners had pxiced values «>: t!« ir lauds far beyond the working vaiitc*. and that had: been the deCer rent of < *»v. r.-ini--nt not aequirint land for that put-poo-. .'h> do-.iLt ; change of -y-terii wa; nec.'-aiy. Il t.is p. rf.ctly tteil-known tl al i ,-.-ry thing po.-sihie had been done by the land own. r« to pr* vent the land from being acquired at .a fair value. At one time land own. rs put their initiations up to amounts which n. c< t.ited their pay iag high rates :n ord* r to deliberately pr. vi nt Government from acquiring the estate*- at ail. and that was done under the adn.'e < f v. oil known iawy- r- with. th*- n.w of stopping the operation of the Laud for Settlement Act. Then Government attend th* 'i-ti m. arid now it had to alt. r the -v -t* m again. < lor i-rnnn nt want, d to pay a fair iiniie for the 1.-iiid. but -t was not warrant«d in pay ing .xi> --.>t* vain. .on when they took t -tates I'uinptilroiily amfc niy ft w Lad been tak.n in that way. It w.l- itry difficult t<> g. t tii. m at a fair laii.e. Goi i riim. nt wa- anxious to o'otntn land, but it was always being asked to pai more than the land was worth. He thought tiny wt re right it saying that Govt rum. nt neier li.ad an i-titf off. nd :tt a price it could accept. iPKR i'::'..-s .i-s.a . m..N i Wellington. Sept. l->. The acquisition of Hillersden estate, Marlborough, for closer settlement was urged on the Premier to-day by a deputation representing * Wairau Igind ami Railway League. The deputation pointed out that the estate is l.eid by trustees and consist-. <>f about —.>»») ai r*-s of freehold and a similar area l-u-eho'd. ft is situated ahoiit 25 miles from Blenheim. Mar!lK>rotigh. it was stated, isuff'ring from the fa.-t that latge areas are held by very few people. There are tW5.000 a. res held by eleven people, and it wa.> urged that the law should be altered so as to limit th..’ value of lamt held by one pirM.ii to £st>.*»»>. after which the amount of tax should be made much heavier than at pr.’-ent. Sir J. Ward said th*- high pri. e had prevented Government from taking action in this anil some other cases where valuations of the owners were excessive. Some change in the system of a. quiriitg land was necessary to prevent people having to pay exorbitant price-. In the present ease he Would have further enquiries made.