ABANDONED FARMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19415, 25 August 1926, Page 8

ABANDONED FARMS.

Sir, —The Lands Department has oh its hands hundreds of abandoned farms, and the Minister of Lands says he could place 5000 men if he had the land to offer them. What is preventing the abandoned farms from being taken up ? Is it not the methods adopted in fixing the selling; price? As a rule, the outgoing soldier has walked/off heavily in j debt to the department. He may owe' rent and interest on advances for improvements", stock and implements, running into hundreds of pounds. The department adds all these debts to, the capital value, with a further addition to cover legal and other expenses, and fixes the total as the selling price. In the first place, the_ chattels and improvements for which money was advanced, have probably depreciated in value. In the second place the soldier has probably walked off because the capital value of the land was too high.: But notwithstanding this, the. department takes this over-valued place, adds the outgoing man's debts, and wonders why there are no buyers. But this is not the only aspect of the method of dealing with these farms which operates against their reoccupation. ' If a farmer knows that a certain stock company has a farm on its hands, he calls on the firm, talks business and gets from the manager a definite answer to any offer made for the property. Now, surely the commissioner of Lands holds as responsible a position as the manager of a stock company ? Surely the commissioner is competent to appreciate land values ? But you can't get a definite answer from .a commissioner. He knows that the price as fixed in the manner mentioned is exorbitant. He knows when a fair offer is put to.him. But he caanot accept the fair offer. He must refer it to the Land Board, which may not meet fo? three weeks. The board must refer, it to the Under-Secre-tary in Wellington. And the UnderSecretary refers it to various subordinates. And back comes a request to the commissioner for more information, and this goes on for weeks. In the meantime the man who made the offer has gone elsewhere. There is only one way to get these farms occupied " prornjptly, Give the commissioner power to fix a reasonable price and permit him to make deals without a lot of circumlocution. Noiaxd.