ABOUT A GRAZING RUN.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVI, Issue LVI, 7 November 1908, Page 4

ABOUT A GRAZING RUN.

We have received from Mr G. J. Black,' of Gisboohiej a copy at a. pamplilet lately issued by Him «lascribiiig the Umtumemt tiLat he or a'atliiaa* his son liaa looeived at the hands 'of thcs Governnjiaot in resipect of a small grazing 1 run in the Gisborne district. Aa told in the pamphlet tie story is a long one, but the essential features can be explained "Within a short compass. In 1885 a system of tenure was inaugurated by the late Mr Ballance, than Minister of Landb, ■with uhe object of inducing pocpl© tm settle rough pastoral cauntiy as small grazing runs. Tho broad principle of the scheme was iixity of tenure at a. low rout on a leasehold basis, residence and improvements being compulsory.) and this principle was vary warmly endorsed by Sir George/ Grey, Mr Holleston, and others. At the outset a leas 3uf 21 yeai-a was given, and tivi, Crown Lands Guide issued immodiataly after the adoption of tha new tenure act out that "the loa.se is for 21 yeara with the firsft offer at the end of that term of a renewal for 21 years." In another place referring specifically tocartain of these lands to be offered in j Gisborne district it was stated that they weirei offered for least* "for 21 > years with right of renewal and compensation for iinprovamentsi." This, sftatement is not altogether borne out by a refeirenca to; the Act. Seciiom 198 says : "Tho term of lease shall be. for twenty-one years!, with Mich right of rontewol aa is hereiriaftqr provided" ; and section. 209 sots forth: "If on; the determination of any lease it be Jetermined that a run, either as to tlwi whole or part thereof, as the case nuy bet, shall again ba let, then a new leaso of th-a wholo or tuch isurfc, aa tho case noay ba, shaft be offered to the existing lessee:," etc. B.vit, it is to be obwaved that the Qrown Lajads Gufde was isswed for the purpose giving official information to intending settleira, to that tihey might set about land Et-Wtion "without, anuch trouble," and people were more likely to study the Guide than the Land 1 Act. And :t is pretty certain, also mien would hardly take up these rough, way- back lands 1 even with thei right of getting value for innprovamentsi on a 21 years' leatfa, and tine general conception trf the tenura was that save jn exeeptiopr; al- circumstances tihera was a, right; of renewal at a rant for #ie eeoond term of 2£ par oont an "tho ; t9|piin,prcved vfllua Now far the Blafek^o%L Afr, sfciya been f#riiijng on! Banks Poninriula i^ thirty 'y^r>, X sold out some tihjf^ and a haK years ago and came? to Pctwfrty Bay, where- 1' bought a freehold, fishing tbi give oner of imr sons a rtayfyini life I bought him a-lcam of Grazing Hun No. 43, > originally taken up in 1888, under the

1835 Act. It ha.d »foijr, /years to run on the ih*l , term vno, fright of renewal, if again let, fooj another term. *f 21 years). Before purchasing I D.ade f uIL enquiries as to the right of renewal, and was assured by tilie leiad-ing solicitor of Gisborno that I had an absolute right of renewal, unless the Crown, decided tqjxill the freehold of it. Under these conditions it was bought The area was ±o7P acre*, 1000 ox which was in bush. The outgoing tenant was paid £'i 15s per a era for his goodwill, amounting to £16,357 10s. My son came up amd took posse^ion, and lias resided on it ever bince. He has felled and burned 750 acref." of bush, sawn it down and: subdivided it at a cost of £2000, making a total of £18,3H-. 10a. The first twm is? nearly up, and he receives notice trom tha Land Board, acting under your instructions, that tiho run. !S tc» be resumed for closctr settlement, and he ia offered the right of renewal of 900 acres, of it, Iho poorest land on the block, Mid in the event of his not accepting that he is offered -£13,74?'} 7s 6d, as the value of impwemenitis. This means a loss of £4644 2s 6d inard cash, in addition to being deprived iof his sacoad tevaa>. He lodges tii , protest and applies for a rahe&ring — this is granted." Then come a description of a sarieo of official changes of opior ion and action. We can only sunv niadiso them. (1) The Minister interviewed says (iti ia alleged) that he is prepared to act on tha'Tecommendialion of the Land Board; (2) tibo Land Board having 1 hetai-d. the parties decides to rccomrneaad for the favomblo considea-atioim of the Minister "That under the ciroumsteinoeg disclosed the former resolution herein be rescinded, a>nd that Mr Black re> now oil'eredi a renewal of hia lease in its entirety as was done in the easa of S.G.R. 12, Waingoromai, l*eld by F. Hall." (3) Tho Board is asked hy the Under-Secra-tary for Lands on direction of the Minister for an explanation of >ts seeming inconsistency; (4) tiho Board replied that /the justice of ifoe oasa wai-rantetd a recoTnuucnilatdot. for a revis-fora of its forrnor doeision," and gava reasons; I (5) Under-Secrdtaiy ti-arwinittt.ed the "roAJxma t»,tlia Minister and concluded by wt-j-ing, "with ' the full cxi ];lunatinns now g?vm I beg to recommend that th-a roversal of tiie Board's dpcision and thev'r pra«?ent reisolution that Mr Black be ofered a renewal be approved", (6) the Miirtstoi' decliaed to approve ; tKe Board at c, further raeoting decided that the rim be diyildod into" ttbreet parts 1 , Mr Blackjjbeint; given option aa to P<X> acres., There is more corresfondeiico arisdng out oi? a sur^sadiaiy matter not very, clearly j oxplained, and! f nally the decisioin is | that 9CO acres, shall bo offered tof.Mr ISlu-k and the- balance, of the land •» to bo pu^ up into small a^easi and i offettHifl 'to the publx under the optional syst6'm OS course: we are aware that one story is good until the otiher is told ; there are usually two sides to a matter of this soi-t; but the changes of attitude Ijy the Board, coupled with the quotations,- throw a flood of lighn on the tiroubles that 1 ieset liio j>ath «>f a Grown leaseholder when Board, junci Minister dissagroe:. Could thWe be a cavo morei waggestive ok the advisableness of a sejttler being clear of the/ leasehold system if he can- 1 And here is ano.tib.er aspect -of the matter. Mr Black in his open lottcir to the Minister says: "Having dealt with the vindictive treatment dealt out to the lessee of Run 43, I coma to the letsrec of .Run 12, who I may remind you is «. gemtlemiain named 'Frederick Hall, owner and lioansuei of the Masonic Hotel, Gi&borne, a,nd a staunch supporter of your party. In tho Crown Land Eanger's repect on this ruii it wa^i stated that 1200 acres, of it should b^i cut off and put up under the optional system. The Hawke's Bay Land Board adopted this suggeolion and notice was sent to Mr Hall to thiit effect. Kcyr comes tic paz-u where tho political wires ware pulled a,nd with good results to tha lessee. I»lr Hall forwards a strong protest to the Hon. Jaa Carroll, and in cast this should not dJjurry enough weight, Mr Hall proceeds t^i VrtlJington and interviews Mr Carroll. The next thing w« hear is Iliat Mr lla.ll has ro^eived noticerfrom "tha Ci-nunissioner that the leas^ of the whole of the/ run is to be

renew „ . . . Mr F. Hall i& the owner,, "with oilier*, of some thirteen thousand acres of freehold, That,, is uot \.«p*c,ugh $/» you give him a pother 4195, acres?.. My sow, the lessee of. Run 43, dce§ net own, case, single atfe of land, knd ,tas opj^ the leasa oti tj^ajruw ta d^^irci oai fpi" his-lxyine. .fie;resides on his run awd/w 3}j boaiaf.fi^e aeir tier. The less^a !-cjf Ru^l 42 ijiay gtf to his run orico| a year, and I questaon ?f lie goes that eft-en." , As -we hava r sp,idi. no doubt tharfl is anodien'ljide to the Btoiry, but. Mr Bl^c^c lias aippe?Lled to tha public wittf suclx a , strong, prima faoiei ca««3 that wo are sure the public would like to W the coheir sid,a; do not commit ourselves to an acoeipt'juioa of Mr Black's case 5 but we, must ii&y -wy have Seldom, read; a complaint of hai*sh action f more. circjuimstanjtially sot fortli.'r Apparently the matter wag referred to- at MitOarroll'sJ meeting -at Gisbori)€( ,i^ ,'oth.er eyeain^, and' we await the Reports .with finterest ,to see if fresh light wa« thrown au tha sub-, ject. ' "..,,> „')■•>, ' : '

In -& ; replace : advertisement in this issue' Mr X. 'HV A'rih'tir,' proprietor of Arthur's Fuiftisifiri^ N Wa^npuss, Prjn-, ces 'street, 1 "Hftwera, calls attention to his fine stock of summer goods just arrived direct from the makers. Tenders are called by Hawera County ..Council for the carting .and delivery of metal. '