GRAZING RUNS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8182, 25 July 1912, Page 3

GRAZING RUNS

LAND ACT AMBIGUOUS BILL TO BE INTRODUCED. STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER. An ambiguity in the land laws of the Dominion was brought under the notice of the Prime Minister (lion. W. !•'. Massey) bv a VVaitaiapa deputation yi:.-,-doy, introduced by Mr \V. C. Buchanan, M.P. Tho depuu'-tion comprised lour Bottlers in tho Mauricnvillo district— Misers J. T. Dagg. D. McGregor, E. J. Rose and W. Heckler. They represented holders of grazing runs who took up their sections under the 1835 Land Act, tho terms of leaeo being for twenty-e-ne years. Tho question 'of renewal has now cropped up, and in some instances it has been found that this cannot be done as tho Government has taken steps for tutting up tho land for closer settlement. Alter listening to a full explanation the Prime Minister said a good case had been mado out and if the _ Grown officers rej jotted that an injustice had been done ijo would have the matter put right in the Land Bill to he introduced this session. .... , Mr Buchanan, briefly outlined the position, which was enlarged on by the menn hers of the deputation. The number of involved throughout tho i>o minion ho understood to be lit). * he Laud Board had informed tho ,*l® MI era that their leases would be rectified by frtsh legislation lust session, but that had not been done. THE 1835 ACT. Mr B. J. Pose said tho decision the Land Board had arrived at in regard to his leaeo made his case a little different from that of tho othcre. The Prime Minister: Under which A< Mr Rose: The Act of 1885. He pointed out that he and another were interested in the lease. The area was about SCO acres. As far as close settlement was concerned it was impossible to cut up tho block. Ho had been notified by the board that a renewal of tho lease wouid not be granted; but under clause 209 of the Act he had been granted a temporaryrenewal for a period of twelve months Ho had been informed by tho board that it was intended to introduce legislation to give a further loose at a more equitable rent, and with a more permanent tenure He understood there were two options—taking tho land, or giving him a further lease for twenty-one years at 2i per cent, on revaluation. Tho rent ho was now paying for the twelve months' loose was at the rate of 2J per cent, on the now unimproved value, which had increased from All to JL‘4 an acre. Ho thought tho rent fair, bnt if it was determined that be would havo to pay an increase ho would still 1)© willing to do so to retain his land. He did not quite know what •was meant by a more permanent tenure. The land was unsuitable for cutting up for dairying or any other purpose. Dairying hod been tried, and had proved a failure. What ho desired was a renewal of his lease. He was not anxious for the freehold. When a man took up land in the bush he looked at tho renewal clause. It was hard on a settler, after breaking in tho land and improving it, to find that tho Act was overridden and that ho was to be penalised for his Industry. BREAKING FAITH. Hr D. McGregor said there was a d’f ference in regard to Air Rose's case and that of Messrs Dagg and Heckler, whom he represented. The Government had told Mr Rose that they did not intend to take his land for close settlement purposes, but wished to give a new lease on different terms. In Messrs Dagg and Heckler's case tho Government had notified them that it was intended to take a portion of tho land for cutting up. Tho land was i ndoubtedly taken up on the distinct understanding that in twenty-one years a renewal would be granted at a rental to be arrived at by reva’uation. It was most important that the Government should not break faith with industrious settlers who had taken up the land under most disadvantageous circumstances. It was bush country, without roads, and the pioneers who took up tho land had all sorts of difficulties to contend with. The earnings of a life time had been put into the holdings for the purpose of making them habitable and productive. All the improvements mado in the districts where the grazing rune existed had been carried out by tho energy and industry of the settlers themselves. They, had constructed their own roads, borrowing money for the purpose, and receiving practically no assistance from the Government. If it were possible for the Prime Minister to go over tho suggested lino for the opening up of the runs for closer settlement he would have to swim, the whole of the road being under water. Not a single load of gravel could be obtained for love or money, which was an important point in segard to subdivision. He had made inquiries of landless people with a view to ascertaining whether they would take up the blocks if they were divided into small areas of say a hundred acres. He had been emphatically told ‘‘No, we simply could not do it. The land was not suitable, and there were no road facilities. After years of experience dairying had been voted a complete failure. Tho roads were so bad it was impossible to deliver milk at tho factory, and a cream *ry that had been erected was now tenantless. i Mr Buchanan: What about the rancor's report? THE RANGER’S REPORT. Mr McGregor: The ranger reported that the land was unsuitable for dairy purposes. Tho Land Board inspected the land last summer with a view to subdivision. The weather was then fine, the fields green and there was no water lying about. Members of the board considered it possible to make roads and cut up the land. The board should have seen the land at tho present time uf year, when the dairy business was In full swing. They would then have come to a different decision. Men with two or three hundred acres and up to four thousand acres had attempted dairying, but had aU abandoned the project. That in itself was sufficient answer in regard to the suitability of the land for subdivision. It was pastoral country pure and simple. Under tho leases granted the settlers could not borrow on their sections, as tho tenures were too short. The Government considered the question and decided that in cases of extreme need the lessees oonld convert their holdings into lease-In-perpetuity leases. This was done in •everal instances, and the settlers were thereby able to borrow money for improvements. Others wanted the same treatment, and the Government closed down. Mr Massey: They were too late I Mr McGregor: Tho Government refused them tho same privileges, which teemed to be a very hard thing. The land had risen in value from £1 to -B4 an acre; and if the rent were paid on the latter value at 2i per cent, he thought the settlers would be paying very fully for any advantages they were receiving. They should have every consideration shown them. He hoped justice would be done to the settlers who had borne the heatsjnd burden of the day, men who had done the hard pioneering work and had not yet cleared off their liabilities for bringing the land into profitable occupation. Mr Buchanan pointed out that one of the sections in question was mortgaged to the extent of .£7OO, the money being raised to carry out improvements. It was now proposed to divide the section and take 300 acres of tho best of the land. He considered that a genuine hardship. THE PRIME MINISTER QUESTION TO BE CONSIDERED. In reply tho Prime Minister said tho deputation had made out a good case.

and ono which appealed to him. -He had bc£ii looking uilo the question of the grazing runs ihal morning—and not i<>r the first time—as far ay they wore* affected by the Act of 1885. Ho would not like to say the Act way particularly definite. iIU reading wa.-i that it uitoriUed to give Iwj.vees of grazing runs the right to reiu.w after the lil years had expired at a rental to be arranged between the Land Hoard and the (ho rent not to bo Jess than at the rate of per cent, on tho unimproved value. While tho Act of 1885 wa* not nonmte*. tho position o* tho lessees was considerably strengthened by tho Act ot IbJ*- in the fiivit instance, and then by the ISA) Act An old opinion of tnc Lands heparturient, winch he had looked up, .stated that section 100 ot the 189 k Act gave lessee*. of rural land—which did not include grazing runs—tin; ngh. to change their leases into loascs-m-per-petuity under parts 3 and 4 or the Act. Then section 15 of the Land Act Amendment Act of 1895 extended the provisions of section ICO of the IWtl Act to parts five and nix and other leases under tho Act, part five including grazing runs. The point ho wished to make uas that bv the passing of tho 1895 Act—according to the opinion he was quoting from tfio lessees'of small grazing runs had the right to convert their holdings into leases -in - perpetuity. This provision had been taken advantage of in pome cases. The 1907 Act took away that right. The new provision was agreed by a tired House, which was under the impression that tho change proposed was necessary for the proper working of tho Act. He was willing to admit that an injustice had been done. Ho proposed to refer the whole question to tho Crown Law officers and get a report from them as to what was intended by the 1885 and other Acts; ami to obtain their opinion on tho whole position. If they were of opinion that an injustice had been dono, an opportunity would be taken in the Land Bill to be introduced this session to put the matter right, and place tho lessees of small grazing runs in tho position they were intended to ho in by previous legislation. “If there is one class in the community,'' he added, “which is entitled to i eceive sympathetic consideration from the Government, and will receive it, it is those pioneer settlers who havo broken in the new country."