SETTLEMENT OF LANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18813, 13 September 1924, Page 12

SETTLEMENT OF LANDS.

GROUP SYSTEM CONDEMNED.

MINISTER'S ADVERSE STAND.

—T AREAS QUITE UNSUITABLE. SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED. [BX TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Friday. The Now Zealand Farmers' Union at the last meeting of its Dominion Executive decided to forward a remit to tho Government urging that an adequate scheme of immigration and land settlement should bo undertaken so as to take full advj.nf.tjjo of tho Imperial Empire Settlement Act, 1922, and develop the waste lauds of tho Dominion. " As you are aware," states the Minister for Lands, the Hon. A. D. McLeod, in his reply to the Union, " it is a difficult matter to settle on the land in a group system or community scheme of settlement any large number of immigrants from abroad, and this can practically only bo done when fertile and comparatively large areas near the centres of population are provided for the purpose. As you are aware such land has long been alienated by the Crown in New Zealand, and the lands now available for disposal comprise mostly pastoral areas of rugged country remote from, railways and towns and also worked out kauri gum areas, pumice lauds and others that require a certain amount of special local experience in working to enable them to bo utilised to good advantage in conjunction with a fair amount of working capital. It must, therefore, be recognised that it is a very difficult matter to place famners from England upon lands in New Zealand which possess different characteristics and would require to be utilised in a different manner to the lands of Britain. "The Government is at all times ready to afford intending immigrants from abroad full information about tho Crown lands of the Dominion, so that when such immigrants arrive in New Zealand they can inspect the lands offered, and after having seen the conditions under whicli they will havo to work they will then be in a better position to apply for land suitable to their requirements. Full information has been, and will be, given to all intending settlers on the land in this Dominion, but for tho reasons mentionod a co-operativo scheme of settlement as has been suggested is out of tho ijuestiori under existing conditions." Provision of Hoading. In reply to a representation from the union that adequate transport facilities should be provided before placing settlers upon tho laud, the Minister has replied in the following terms:— "It has always 'been the policy of the Government to provide transport facilities and road access to all blocks of land placed on the market, but owing to the continued and pressing demand for land and the expressed desire of applicants to take it up before roads are in a finished condition, it has been impossible to withhold land until roads of communication have been fully completed. As you are aware, one-third of the rents of Crown leaseholds under settlement tenures and one-fourth of the rents of small grazing runs are devoted for a period of 15 years toward improving of road access in addition to money spent in providing access beforo the land is opened." Tax Exemption Inadvisable. Another remit forwarded to tho Government was as follows: "Where blocks of land' are being held for the encouragement of immigration and close settlement they should ba exempt from land tax during such limited time as an approved annual amount of capital is being expended for the purposes of development." " Blocks of Crown lands," states the Minister, in his reply, " are not liable for land tax until selection, and it is inadvisable to exempt blocks of private land from any statutory tax, no matter for what purpose the owners may desire to utilise them. No doubt the ultimate reward reaped by the owners rill compensate them for their outlay, including land tax and other taxes. For the reasons given previously suitable blocks of Crown lands are not available for improvement by corporations, etc., with tho view of their being afterwards disposed of to immigrants and others. There exists no for amending tho existing law with regard to land tax in the direction indicated."