SETTLEMENT OF LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19513, 17 December 1926, Page 15

SETTLEMENT OF LAND.

€!SBORNE ' OFFERS POLICY. COMPULSORY PURCHASE PLAN FORCING CLOSER SETTLEMENT. ACTUAL CASES IN SUPPORT. A reversion to the old policy of compulsory purchase of land is the solution of the land settlement problem favoured by the Gisborne Chamber of Commerce. This view is supported in a letter addressed to the chairman of the Land Settlement Committee, Mr. M. G. McArthur, in which the chamber expresses disappointment at nut being invited to the conference held in Auckland during Royal Show week. The chamber proceeds to outline its policy and to quote several important facts which, it says, "speak for themselves in favour of closer settlement." It states first that "the graduated land tax has not, had the anticipated effect of breaking up estates, and there seems to he no other possible method of adding to the rural population and to the productiveness of the country than by evolving' some system of closer settlement. " The actual results of the old policy of compulsory purchase of land in the poverty Bay district are given below, by which you will see that there are now 116 settlers, where formerly 5 runholders held land. The sheep have increased from 49.000 to 83,800, and the cattle from 2300 to 6700, many of the latter being dairy cattle. So that," the chamber argues, "though these stations were well run properties before they were cut up, the population, the wealth of the district and the consequent taxation returns direct and indirect have immensely increased since. Making Land Available. "The country cannot go ahead unless land is available either for local settlers or for immigrants, and since the last rabbit board returns show an actual decrease of the number of farmers, you can see how desirable it is to alter that state of affairs—by closer settlement. "Some months ago my chamber appealed to the Minister of Lands to acquire suitable properties in this district by applying to them section 36 of part 2 of the consolidated Land for Settlements Act {compulsory clause). The Minister replied that he had to consider whether improved properties could be acquired by compulsion at such a price as would return to the general taxpayer a reasonable interest on the expenditure involved and whether the process should be followed and, as a matter of policy, the loss regarded as a subsidy to land settlement. He was not prepared to recommend its adoption with respect to private lands. He ■was, therefore, faced, ho stated, with the problem of securing such lands at a price that would involve little or no loss to the Crown. He went on to explain the differentiation of the assessments of improved and unimproved lands, concluding by stating that he did not intend to propose the system of compulsory purchase" in the meantimo. General Revaluation Wanted. "The chamber, while appreciating the fact that land values are far from stable at the moment, considers that the time has arrived when the Government should have a revaluation of the country. Then there would be no excuse for not enforcing the compulsory clauses >,oi the Act as prices would permit of settlers taking up land and making a comfortable, living out of it." The chamber concludes by quoting the results of subdivision in the case of five properties in the Poverty Bay district. In the case of the Kanakanaia estate of 52136 acres, one owner, depasturing 200 caittle and 7000 sheep, has been replaced by seven settlers, with 940 cattle: and 10,650 sheep. On the Wigan estate of 10,044 acres, one owner with 500 cattle and 13,000 sheep has been succeeded by 17 settlers owning 1810' cattle and 21,650 sheep. Case ot Te Arai- Quoted. Perhaps the most striking case quoted is that of the Te' Arai estate of 9197 acres. Here there arc now 48 settlers where formerly there was but one owner and his 600 cattle and 9000 sheep have been increased under closf- settlement to 16,054 and 17,250 rspectively. In the fourth case quoted the single owner of the 9515 acres comprising the Clydebank estate has been succeeded by 22 settlers who own 943 rattle and 16.250 sheep, against the 400 and 10,000 respectively depastured unoer the old regime. Finally the Ngatipa estate of 10,419 acres, formerly support-, :mg one owner, 600 cattle and 10,000 sheep, is now carrying 22 settlers, 1400 cattle and 18,000 sheep. Taking" these figures in the aggregate, *ubdivision has been responsible for increasing tho carrying capacity of 44,471 ■seres, by 4447 cattle and 34,000 sheep. That is, the cattle have increased by 193 per cent arid the sheep by 69 per cent, in addition there are 116 small Owners where formerly there wty-e five large ones.