THE LAND BALLOT SYSTEM

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9094, 13 July 1915, Page 5

THE LAND BALLOT SYSTEM

WOULD-BE SETTLER’S EXPERIENCE. The experiences of Mr H. T. Pinnook, of 29, Epuni street, in ins endeavour to obtain a section of land in the Auckland district, -were related bo a “Times” representative last evening. On August 13th of last year, Mr Pinnook received a communication from the Auckland Lands Office, (notifying him that in a ballot for sections on the -Hauraki Plains he had been successful in drawing section 24, block 12, and also that it was necessary to have £4OO before he would be allowed to take up his land. A largo number of questions, supplementary to those in tho declaration, were also forwarded to him. After two or three weeks’ consideration, the department accepted M Pinnock’s cash qualification—£loo in the * bank, a. £l5O section at Timaru, and his wife’s haifshare in a Timaru section worth £350. On September 14th Mr Pinnock, in a letter to the department, emphasised that he desired a lease, not the freehold. On September 22nd he received a printed acknowledgment form, which mentioned that a receipt for the deposit of £l3 16s, tho half-year’s rent, had been forwarded. It concluded ; “Preparation of the title will bo taken in hand in due course, and it will be forwarded to your postal address for signature when ready.” Another £ll rent was paid by Mr Pinnock at a later date. Ho waited until Christmas time for his title, but it never arrived, and. thinking that the department had refused the lease, ho forfeited. He was under the impression that he could not go on tho land without a title. Since that time tho department has consistently refused to make Mr Pinnock a return of tho deposit, or of a portion of it.