PURCHASE OF ESTATES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7928, 11 October 1911, Page 1

PURCHASE OF ESTATES

NEW LEGISLATION FORTHCOMING TO OVERCOME HIGH PRICES WHAT THE OPPOSITION COULD SPEND. , The member for Hawke's Bay (Mr A. Dillon) asked the Prime Minister yesterday whether he was aware that a syndicate was in treaty for the purchase of a largo estate belonging to Mr It. D. D. McLean in Hawke's Bay, and whether the Government would not taka steps to secure the estate ior closer settlement. The Prime Minister said that in the purchase of estates the Government was guided by the inquiries of tho Land Purchasa Boat'd. He was quite prepared to hear that a .syndicate was prepared to buy tho land, because tho same thing had occurred in Marlborough, where tho purchasers had offered tho land to the Government afterwards at a lower price than they gavo for it, and it had been declined because tho price was too high to enable the settlers to make a fair living out of it. "I propose to ask the House," Sir Joseph Ward continued, “ to give effect to an alteration of tho law this session which will enable us to obtain the&p large estates without having the country swindled out of money in tho process. (Hear, hear.) I am not saying a word against tho ownei-s as a class, but an effort is being made throughout the country to obtain a price far in excess of the value of the land. We have tried twice to enable the landowners to treat fairly, and every time we have been defeated. All sorts of misrepresentations are being made about the attitude of the. Government in the purchase of; land, and I will ask tho House before it rises—no matter how long it takes—to adopt, legislation that will enable us to acquire lands at a fair price. Mr Jennings: Both Maori and European? Sir Joseph Ward: I will ask the House to adopt it generally. We are prepared to pay fair prices, and it is a monstrous doctrino to urge that because we do not buy land, owing to a combination to put up prices, we are not doing our duly. Yet there are people, saying that they are prepared to see the Government paying a higher price than the land is worth. If the block referred to is offered at a price that will meet with the approval of the Land Board, we will buy it—or any other piece of land. But we will heed a different method of acquiring land from ■ that under which it was only necessary for-twelve owners-te combine and give, evidence before the Compensation. Court to force up the price. We have never had land at the value an owner could have sold -to a private individual for. We have purchased over five millions' worth of land, but that fact has made it increasingly difficult to operate a® successfully ae wo did sis or seven years ago. I heard the leader of the Opposition say that ho was prepared to advise his friends to ask the Government three. times . tho value .ot the land. 1 WHAT ME MASSEY SAID.

Mr Massey: I never mentioned my friends. Sir Joseph Ward: Well, yourself. Mr Massey: I said that if the Government demanded to purchase my laud, whether I liked it or not, I would demand three times its value in order to retain it.

Members: That is not what you said. Sir Joseph Ward: Well, the only evidence that could bo produced .would be that of Mr Massey’s own friends. Mr J. Allen: That was not the case at Plaxbourne.

The Hon. T. T. Duncan: I could tell you a good deal about Plaxbourne, it you raise that point. Sir Joseph Ward: Well, the evidence might come from men like the leader ot the Opposition, and what chance would the Government have of acquiring land at a fair price? Mr Massey claimed that ho had been misrepresented over what he had said before the committee. He had been referring'to the fact that sometimes a sentimental value was attached to land, and ho had said that if the Government attempted to take his homo and farm from him, and he could save it by so doing, ho would ask three times the value. Ho would repeat that now. Mr Witty: Why was that cut out of tho printed evidence? Mr Massey - did not answer- tho question, He went on to declare that the system in operation before 1907 was much better than tho present- one. As far as the Government not being able to purchase sufficient laud was concerned, he would like to ask for a list of the estates offered to it and not bought. Instead of there being difficulty in purchasing .£500,000 worth yearly for settlement, he would guarantee to buy four times that amount, Jfii.OOO.OOO worth, in any one year, and at a price that would enable settlers to make a good living out of the laud. The Government, he thought, was to blame for not taking advantage of its opportunities. Mr Witty again inquired of the Opposition leader how it was that if his statement respecting demanding three times tho value was correct, it was cut out of tho printed evidence. Was he ashamed of what he had said? Mr Massey denied that he had cut anything out of the printed evidence. What he had said was merely an aside, and not evidence at all. A MATTER OP IMAGINATION.

Commenting upon Mr Massey’s assertion that he could purchase .£2,(KX),COO worth of land yearly. Sir Joseph Ward said ho would like some particulars. Where would Mr Massey find this land? ft was so easy to make a general statement. Did Sir Slassey propose to spend all the money in one district? Mr Massey: Certainly not! Sir Joseph Ward: Your imagination must hare been carrying you completely oft your feet when you made such a statement as you did. It is so easy to theorise, but in practice the problem is very difficult. He believed that under the Land for Settlements Act the Gov-

eminent had not been able to purchase even a single estate at the price offered by the owners. All the time the Government had had to try and beat prices down to what was fair. In hundreds of cases it had not been able to look at estates at all, owing to the price asked. He would consider the advisability of laying the full list of offered estates before the House, though some people would not like their business given away. In nine cases out oi ten owners wanted far more than the land was worth. When the proposed new legislation wan introduced they would be able to eea how much reliance could bo placed upon the protestations of which so much had been heard.