HIGH PRICES OF LAND

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6884, 13 April 1929, Page 12

HIGH PRICES OF LAND

Values Fixed by Owners PURCHASE BY COMPULSION Privately owned lands are being offered to the Government for settlement at prices which are considered to bo excessive, and the Minister of Lands, Hon. G. W. Forbes, hinted on Wednesday that it may be necessary to apply compulsion to bring about their resumption. The Minister said the position m regard to the purchase of privatelyowned properties was not as satisfactory as ho could wish. Since December last 214 properties had been placed under offer in areas ranging from 150 to 20,000 acres. A large number of these, from their description, were deemed to be unsuitable from the outset.* A number appeared to be desirable holdings, and the Dominion Land Purchase Board was obtaining reports on and valuations of them. Mr Forbes was not hopeful of much business being done, however, as the prices asked for the properties which had been examined were in almost every ease considerably above the producing value of the land and the Government valuation. In some cases the price asked was double the existing roll valuation. Appeal for Co-operation

The Minister said it looked as if it would not be possible to avoid the bringing into operation of the compulsory clauses of the Act. The Government did not wish to bo placed in that position, but with the knowledge that the present unsatisfactory condition of the Dominion in regard to unemployment, could be improved primarily by closer settlement and the better utilisation of the land, the necessity of doing something to bring that about should be as apparent to the land owners of the Dominion as to the Government, and it was considered it was reasonable to ask for. the co-operation ot. land owners in that direction. However, up to the present the spirit in which the Government had been approached by land owners was a demand for excessive values on. most of the properties placed under offer, with no response at all on the part of those holding large areas of land particularly suitable for close settlement. “I am hoping that there will be a change of attitude in this respect, and that it will not be necessary to apply compulsion,” said the Minister. “I am empowered to say, however, that the Government recognises its responsibilities and will not shrink from the exercise'of the powers provided by Parliament to bring about the closer settlement of the lands of the Dominion.”

Procedure to Be Adopted The Minister has decided to set up immediately local land purchase boards which will co-operate with and work under the control of the Dominion Land Purchase Board. These boards will comprise the Commissioner of Crown Lands for each land district and three other persons to be appointed by the Crown. The duties of the boards will be to deal' with all offers of land to the Crown and report on same, recommending their purchase or otherwise, and they will be instructed to review thoroughly the existing occupation of all suitable lands in their respective districts, and where expedient to approach the owners with a view to the acquisition of their land by negotiation or by the compulsory clauses of the Land for Settlements Act.

In every case before the compulsory clauses were invoked the owner or owners of the land would be given every opportunity to go before the board and voice his or their objections. After hearing these the local boards would report to the main board, which would consider the report and make a recommendation to the Minister. Mr Forbes added that this procedure would preclude the possibility of any hardship being inflicted unwittingly. Mr Forbes stated that he looked to the development and settlement of what had been termed , the “waste lands” of the Dominion for the greatest contribution to increased settlement and production. He felt, however, that a considerable addition to the present settlement could be made in the settled areas.