LAND ADMINISTRATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22374, 22 September 1934, Page 9

LAND ADMINISTRATION

■■ ” TO THE EDITOR; : " Siu, —In last Saturday’s Daily Times ■appeared a summary' of the annual port of the Lands' Department and the report by Mi* Kensington,- commissioner of Crown lands in Otago, attracted my attention. The commissioner states that the small farmer in South O.tago deserves consideration. One wonders why the Land Board does'not try to extend that consideration. Several, cases have been brought to my notice recently where not only consideration, but also courtesy, was lacking. The Lands Department has demanded that its' charges' must be met before all others, and , men' have - been denied a decent living in order that they may meet these charges. Apparently'The department is determined to force fanners, and particularly, returned soldiers, into .bankruptcy before it will I'orogo its pound' of flesh. One would surely expect the department to, taker'll-, lead in attempting To adjust' charges' during such times as we arc passing through, but I understand that it still charges IT per cent, interest and 1 per cent sinking ■fund—a charge which,is out of proportion when butter-fat-.is bringing as low as 7d per lb. It is interesting to note that, the president of the Otago branch 1 of the Farmers’ Union is a member of the Land Board, and one wonders what the feeling of union members must" bo towards their president when they hear of ho protest by him regarding the treatment meted out by the Land Board. I could point to cases where the commissioner has taken over properties and where the most lavish expenditure has been incurred to bring these lands back to production, but it would surely have been wiser to reduce the interest charges in the first place- and so enable men to maintain their farms. Unfortunately, men who have served long years in offices develop minds which cannot grasp present-day conditions and seem unable to break away from the old idea of taking everything, and lotting the other fellow starve. — I am, etc., Victim. September 17.