CLOSER SETTLEMENT IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13392, 22 January 1907, Page 5

CLOSER SETTLEMENT IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

PEEL RIVER COMPANY'S

OFFER DECLINED

COMPULSORY PURCHASE MAY BE ENFORCED.

Br Tokeraph. — Pre» Association.—Copyright London. January '20. Mr,. O. D. Parker. who presided at a. meeting of the Peel River Estates Company yesterday, said the company had offered to the Government of New South Wales 78.(XX) acres at £5 os an acre. This offer seemed to the directors to he meeting the Government's wishes in a very handsome way, but as the Government had declined it the offer had been withdrawn. Recognising, however, the need for closer settlement tinhoard of directors proposed to sell direct to the public in future on a larger scale than heretofore. The Agent-General for New South Wales (Mr. Coghlnn), in a letter to the Daily Mail, refutes the statement in a letter by a Mr. F. Thomson, a shareholder, that Mr. Ashton, the New South Wa'es Minister for Lands, had with brut.M cynicism said that in dealing with properties to be expropriated every means must be taken to undervalue and depreciate them. The I'eel River Company began its land operations, in New South Wales in 1856. and less than three years ayo it still owned 311,241 'teres of freehold in the Pet/i River Estate; the Currawillinjjhi Estate, of 5121 acres freehold and 143.041 acres leasehold : and the Eagle (irange list-ate. of 2287 acres freehold and 7275 acres leasehold. In November last the shareholders authorised the directors to offer the whole, or part, of their properties to the Govern lnent.

ST ATI! MK N'T BY THE MINISTER. Svdxkv, January 21 Willi reference to Mr. Thomson's statements in a letter to the London Daily Mail, as to the Peel River Company's properties, the .Minister for Lands (Mr. Ashton) says that the statement attributed to him by Mr. Thomson, was never made V him. It was quite possible that the statement was drawn from a portion of his speech, made in introducing the Closer Settlement Hill last session, when lie pointed out that the present system put the Government in the position of having to depreciate properties if it wanted to acquire them, and later on of having to make the best, of them if the Government wanted to settle them. Some statement of that character was made, hut nothing of the nature attributed to him by Mr. Thomson. The Government, according to Mr. Ashton, will probably resume the Peel River Estate. 'thai is a matter which is to be decided upon by the Cabinet as soon as the Premier comes back. Mr. Car rut hers has already stated that unless lie gets a reasonable offer the provisions of the Closer Settlement Act will be put into operation, and that statement still holds good.