THE LAND COMMISSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12833, 5 April 1905, Page 6

THE LAND COMMISSION.

■' MORE ABOUT THE CROPPING \ 0. REGULATIONS. ■ ': - ■ ■'. : [BY TELEGRAPH.-—OWX CORRKSrOXDEVT.] .'.■".-" ' liMAitu, Tuesday. ■" The Land Commission drove from Waimat*, through portion of the Waikakahi 4 settle-,-merit, to Morven, this morning. The route was through excellent agricultural country, from much of which heavy crops of wheal had been- harvested. Altogether the settlement wore a prosperous look. Wai. Beere, 0110 of the settlers, gave cvi:' dence to the effect that the cropping regulations were vexatious and lively unworkable. (Applause from about 50 settlers who'; were present. J Witness said the kind board* had to deal with too large an area, an .area] extending from Cheviot to Waikakahi;ls Crown tenants should "nave one representative, on each board. Unless the cropping regulations were altered to suit his require- } ments, he would have to ask for the freehold, otherwise he was quite satisfied with" the leasehold tenure. There was no micam.ed increment in connection with the settlement. The unearned increment existed .only;: it regard to city and suburban, lands. He bought transfers should be as freely granted iifcill the. case of e, freehold. ,) >i Jhe Chairman said there should be some consul, otherwise the Crown Bright got men: of ttjtuv a l * tenants. :;;; W'loj, s, man gob his improvements; on the, land, fitness would give- him a, free hand in regard cropping. Some of the land would xtand six crops. The first crops went largely; to strew, and. the third and fourth crVbs yielded more than the first and .second. \The valuation for local rating on the Waikatobi settlement remained the same as it was When the land ..was taken up. There had »fea no increase at the last valuation. SomVof tho settlers felt a little insecure in regvd to their tenures", but he did not think the government would break their, contract. Ha had not heard any demand for retrospective revaluation, but if revaluation Was decidev upon in respect to future leases, there was saving when there would; be a demand to n\ke it retrospective. Witness would favout a man being allowed to pay off portion oruie capital value, so that tho rent would be feduced. There was no danger of the aggregation of large estates in. it, settlement like Wikakalu, because of the; building and improvements effected on the numerous small holdtogs. No man could afford to buy Waikak'hi now. and use it as ■:. sheep run. Tho F&mers' Union in that district was dead now. \ It, had had nothing to do with the agitatiot for the freehold. Arthur William Bartett, another Waikakalii settlei, also sail the conditions of lease were unsuitable is respect to cropping. He could not wot his land in accordance with the cohdiiins ,of his lease. He thought the freehold Wild be a- better tenure. He would put imv> improvements on his farm if he had the- lVehold. He did not think there was any urteWd:increment. The losses over a series? a years would balance the profits. _ ',\ John Taylor Hay said li&elt insecure uncle- the present ler-ve in perpVuity tenure. There was always a danger A the forfeiture of one's section if tho regiVtkms were not complied with. The secfiolhe fanned had been drawn by his wife. Sa had been threatened with forfeiture as tli result 0 £ a breach of the cropping reguJatibs. Wit- : ness advocated the establishment la South Canterbury Land Board. \ John Braco advocated the entfe abandonment of the cropping regulatiW-'and''' said be was satisfied with his tenurt Alex. Forsyth gave similar evictee to that of the other witnesses. V t Michael Henstridge said his la* was very poor and! stony, yet he wantecljo $ a : more cropping than the regulation|,permittec?. i Alexander Corcoran thought the <owa> tenants should be allowed to pay oJtha greater part of the capital value of PAV holdings. \Tiio lease in perpetuity wastry valuable, but the lessee should havelta ' right to pay off till his rent was redid to a minimum. He was a believer in e freehold. Ho would give it to the lc» in perpetuity holders after they had' : c," v ried out the conditions, say, in. six years. The Commission arrived* at Timaru 1 night, and will take evidence here to-mo row, leaving for Fairlie in the afternoon. \I