THE LAND COMMISSION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13268, 27 April 1905, Page 7

THE LAND COMMISSION.

: (By Our Special Remoter.) ' CHRISTOHUKCH, April 25. Further evidence was heard by'the'Land Commission this morning. , s . Archibald DohaldPeterson,..' engineer., to the Selwyn County Council, stated that he. had had some experienco .of ■ co-operative labour,-and had -not regarded it. as vory satisfactory. He thought that "day labour with skilled supervision was more economical than either co-operative or .contract labour.

. Henry Williams, •Crown, lands 'ranger,, supplementing the evidence he had given on tho previous day, stated that'the residence and building conditions should bo strictly enforced From .80 to 100 appli : cants for Rosewill sections had refused to apply when they found that the sections wero grouped. Tho- applicants wanted freedom of selection, and tho old plan, of allowing them -to apply for so many sections was the more, satisfactory. Frank 8. Yates, ex-president of the Progressive Liberal Association, said that many years ago the freehold was the only tenuro in tho colony, and the period of depression which existed some years ago • was only relieved when tho Liberal Administration caine s "into office, part of,whoso policy-was a liberal land law system, which included the lease. in perpetuity.. Thero wafl more land monopoly in Canterbury than in any other province in the colony. A' great deal had been heard about confiscation, but nobody in ttrtv colony could point to a parliamentary^'representative who had ever advocated confiscation or repudiation. Tho difference between tho value of a man's improvements and what he asked' for tho goodwill of his lease was ineremeut. The general .stand taken by the land reformers was that no move Crown land should be sold. All existing contracts should be strictly adhered to, and all future leases should bo subjected to periodical revaluaHe thought the present lease in perpetuity was worse than the freehold. Tho State was entitled to some of the unearned increment. Legislation should bo passed compelling public bodies holding reserves to compensate their tenants for improvements. As a general principle tenants' improvements should be absolutely protected by special legislation. People who went on to bush land could bo • givori what : was equivalent to the freehold. He did not know that ; any responsible body had advocated the revaluation of existing leases if the option of acquiring the freehold were granted. The land should bo nufc up to auction and the tenant Compensated for improvements. He did not think' that land nationalisation would bo a good thing just now.

William Lowiie, director of the Lincoln Agricultural College, said that ho could not concur in the cropniug conditions imposed upon the tenants; It would lie -better for the individual and tho State if tho matter of cropping was left entirely and absolutely to tho tenants' discretion. Cropping restrictions bad an historical origin and development, and eamo into practice before tho knowledge of natural science had been advanced to any such degrco as in the .present, day. Tho reason for the restrictions had disappeared, and it had been demonstrated that, tho same crop could be grown year after year for frtun 60 lo 70 years, and that the average had not fallen. Not only was that- done with wheat, but with some of the much-oxhaiv-ting crops, snob as mangolds. Tho notion originally was that by sevoro cropping the land became -exhausted, but that exhaustion was only a temporary exhaustion. — The Chairman: Do you think the Slate should have no control over the land?— Witness: The land should be controlled to the extent of inspection in order to see that the tenant was keeping it free from noxious weeds, but as far as the conduct of his business is concerned thero should bo no restrictions.

Would you not require him to manure tho I land if he took off a certain number of crops?—l do not think that would be practicable. Where do you think the Stale sliouh' step in if a man was making a- "botch' of his land?—lf he pays his rent I do no think the State should-step in at all. lidmoii'l George Rtavcley,' manager of tlv Loan and Mercantile Company, stated tha the tendency in Canterbury was to cut uf larcre estates, and a number of landowner had divided up their holdings, and, gene rally, tho process had been a success Crown should have a ?.l years' lease, with a right of renown) and rovalun tion ac tho end of the term. Ho thought it would be a wise thing for the Slate to grant tho freehold to the tenants, Charles Lewis, M.H.R., chairman of the Board of Governors of Canterbury Collego. stated that the board possessed endowments of land. The land was lot on lease ! for terms of 14. vcars, with certain cropping conditions. Improvements .which had been put up with the approval of the hoard worp paid for by tho incoming tenants. There was no right of renewal granted. The College lands were leased for 14 years, and the reversionary interest was considerable. whereas Ihe reversionary interest in tho 999 years' Crown lease was practically nil. I Harry Atkinson, life insurance agent, quoted figures .showing tho. areas of land held on different tenures. ' A total of 36,939.220 acres, he said, were worker', by freeholders, and 21,229,347 acres were worked by leaseholders. If the freehold tenuro was necessary to the wellbeing of the purchaser all the leaseholders should have the richt to purchase at a fair valuation from the owners, but that-the freehold was not neeessavy was proved by the prosperous condition of the settlements already visited by the commission. The cry for tlie freehold was the cry of the money-lender, and for tho unfettered traffic in land. Means should be found whereby the lands of tho colony could shortly hecOnio tho property of the public. As ono means to that- end the land tax should be considerably in. creased, and tho exemptions abolished. lie advocated that no land should in future tie sold by tho State, that all leasehold lands should' at stated intervals revert to tho State, that all leaseholds should bo made subject to revaluation at- reasonably short intervals, that no traffic in'leasehold lands should ho permitted, that n. system of cooperative settlement should be inaugurated for working the lands and other industries, and that a fair rent court, slioiild be established. . ...

The Chairman; Aro you awn.ro that the present p.ro.-peritv of New Zealand depends on tho prices of,products wliieh nro sold outsido altogether?— Witness: It is to do away with tho dependonco. that i I would suggest this scheme. Aro you awaro .that New Zealand sends 3.000.000 carcases outside the colony?- How would you coiwuir.e them if ,von inado. the colony self-contained?—Wc need not consume them; we need not grow them. Wo' cotild do something bet-tor than that, by proitucing a great deal of what wo now imnort.

Tim witnc.v said that several leaseholders on Rabbit Island' SolUcmcnt -complained that Mis Government bad broken n promiso "to apply flif>ir rents lo "drain, tlio .land sub* joch fo overflow from Lake Kilc3mero. William Edward A.'.jar, president of tho Lyttolton Stevedores' Union, inyed Mat OJcwrnnienfc should acquire the land on tlio opposite s'de <A Lyttollon Harbour for frHlemcnt purposes.; . John All.'in, member of • 'i-lic Canterbury, Land Board. eon?iderod Hint discroHonarvpowers should be crantod to L&rid Hoards in re-sppctvfo irnkin? roivlitions; Tenant* in the' lwck-blocks should, bo granted any tenure they wanted and others should be granted the leasehold only. The commission ropumcs to-morrow morning, and leaves for' Wellington in tho evening. From Wellington the. commission proceed.s to Auckland, and will take evidence in tho districts north' of . Auckland.