HATUMA.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7389, 15 February 1902, Page 2

HATUMA.

It is not very long since Hatuma i was out up and disposed of, but apparently sufficient time has elapsed to allow of the tenants making up their minds to put forward the inevitable demand for a reduction of rents. An unfavourable seison climatically and an unlooked for fall in the price cf wool ara said to Lave been the principal reasons impelling tenants to the conclusion that tht-y cannot pay the rent 3 tbey agreed to pay. Very competent judges, people who know the estate well and were rot swayed by any sympathy for an absentee proprietor, foretold that at any rate some of the tenants, according to the particalar parts of the estate they obtained, must find themselves in difficulties before long, but even the most pessimeatic did not suppose that circumstances would lead to such an appeal within the first twelve months of tenancy. What the Government and Parliament will have to say remains to be seen, but if on investigation it turns out that the tenants cannot make a living at the rents they agreed to p»y, what alternative is there from compliance with the request ? The Government cannot very well turn out the tenants, certainly it would not be wise to do so unless there is a strong probability of some other persons being able to pay the rents. As we always admitted, the resumption of large estates and their subdivision is a very enticing policy on paper, and within limits must be of great advantage to the colony, butit is, nevertheless, a policy which is surrounded with practical difficulties. Owing to the trend of political thought in this colony, the readiness, perhaps, overreadiness, to try any experiment which 017 the face of it seems to present advantages, tbe matter has been gone into rather deeply, and as we think rather hurriedly. While markets were rising all was sure to go well, but fluctuation in prices is part of the history of all communities, and the depression of the industry for which Hatuma was particularly adapted may be expected to test pretty severely the success of the experiment there. From the present position of affairs it would seem that after all the advantage of the transaction rests with, the expropriated owner. He complained that he was very badly treated, and offered to give the Government £60,000 to "ransom" his property. That he would just now show similar anxiety may be doubted. It was stated the other day that the Premier had determined to secure estates in ths Wairarapa, and had implied censure on some one or some body for failure to move more quickly. In viejy of the state of affairs at Hatuma, it would seem to be wise to hasten slowly, or we may have some of the Wairarapa squatters congratulating themselves on a good sale.

[Since the foregoing waa in type, a statement of the case by the Hawke's Bay Herald has* come under notice. This inclicaie3 that the request made is not for a reduction of rent, but a rebate off this year's rent. We print an extract in another column.]