LAND BORAD OPERATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15234, 22 February 1913, Page 8

LAND BORAD OPERATIONS.

A HAWKE'S BAY SECTION. QUITTED AT PROPER yALUE. '. [BT TELEGRAPH.OWN , CORRESPONUENT.] . , Friday. Some days ago a statement was published locally to the effect that a section, of ,' Crown land near Dannevirke, containing '■ 164 acres, had been Bold at a price equal, '. to one-half of its market "value. It was * stated that the, land was worth £16 an [ acre. The land referred to was Section • 2, Block XVI., Tahoraite. '-"."'■' v . j The following report upon the ...twins-.-' s action has been furnished to the Hon. "W., . F. Massey (Prime Minister and Minister for Lands) by Mr. R, T. Sadd (Commissioner of Crown Lands, Napier);— .; .-; " There were 307 application for the section, of which 272 were for 0.R.P., two ■ for renewable lease, and 33 for cash, purchase. Out of the above the following; were accepted for the ballot: 176 0.R.P., 2 renewable lease, and 13 cash purchase. No rejections were made because the applicants had not sufficient means, There were only 33 applicants for the. cash pn. . i chftse; and 20 of those were clearly ineligible, chiefly, on account of not being bona-fido settlers. The others were rejected Jiecanse they were not landless < or not likely to be suitable settlers. The land was valued by M?=. EL Martin Smith, Crown lands ranger, who ia an expert valuer of long experience and I enclose a copy of his report. \v' V. "As preference to landless applicants is: one of the conditions clearly seS out on sale poster, it in needless to state that t!A f.idition received very careful considers ,i. " I am satisfied that, the arduous labour of the members of the board in going through these applications resulted in only: genuine landless applicants seeking a home being admitted to the ballot, and that the; ,J accessful applicants (tenants in common S'ith only one chance in the ballot) aro good, bona-fide settlers :of the class it ; is the aim of every land board to settle mi the land -'-'. As tip the value, of the section '; •-. the. f s!>mmiesioner appends to his statement the - fallowing report, furnished '"-hi];.'■ the'.'.-:Crown' lands raDj-er on December 31, 1911." "The .xpital value of the tod; is put down at £)'&6; improvements, etc, £150 j unimproved balance, ; £2181 ; .: The section' shcidd be suitable ' for dairy-' ing, and <*>uld be offered '■■ on th>, optional system at it'i capital value ■:-■?'- - ' -, ; "The section having an as;;&,off 164 acr'sis- the c-ipital value was as '-'jaxly. a- ; .-■ possih'B i3B pey acre." ' ' -' '■ ; '", -~-./' !■''"' '•' " '______ *■•''■ '*>'-'