BUSH LAND LESSEES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13845, 3 September 1908, Page 6

BUSH LAND LESSEES.

' BEQUEST FOR . KENT* REMISSION. STATEMENT BY TEE MINISTER. [BT ' TELZGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.] ' Weixtkctox, Wednesday. The Minister for Lands (the Hon. R- McNab) this afternoon received a deputation representing 25 settlers who have taken up lana in the Eetaruke; Kaitoke, Kirikau> and part of the North Waimarino Blocks, on the upper reaches of . the Wanganm River. The deputation asked for the remission of one year's rent, payable by them in respect to their leases. They pointed out that owing to want of access to their sections they found it very dim- | cult to let contracts for bushfeliim; for the present season, and that they would get little or no return from their kind until about August or September, 1910. . Mr. McXab said, in regard to the remission of rent, this was a matter that would have to be dealt with by the Land Board, to. whom he would forward the deputation's petition. It would-be a fallacy on his part to disguise the aspect of the present case. Where land was disponed of and held for 14 months, and the holder* asked for a remission of a year's rent and -3 reduction of 33 per cent, on the capital value, it was a serious position. If what had happened in this case was goiing to happen all over the Dominion, chaos would result-,- for settlers only bad to jome after twelve months' occupation, and make an application for remission. It rai-ht result in men going in for land who ware not otherwise able to farm it, and that was a position they had to guard against, remembering that what was done to-day was taken as a precedent. The, law would not allow them to come under the Bush and Swamp Lands Act. ; s They had found that that- Act was being utilised in a way far from the intentions of the original promoter, and wholesale dam-. myism and speculation in the past in its very worst form had taken place. It was to get over the difficulties they had experienced that a clause was put in last year's Land Bill, making provision for paying the rent for a number of years. He did not know whether there was power to convert from occupation, with right of puri chase to occupancy under • another form a but he would send oil the deputation's petition to the Land Board, and when their recommendation came he would see if there was any conversion scheme - under which the present difficulties could be met in a way in which they could meet similar difficulties from all over Xevr Zealand without giving preference to anyone.