ADVANCES TO SETTLERS OFFICE. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2409, 3 May 1900, Page 16

ADVANCES TO SETTLERS OFFICE. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, April 26. Two of the staxinchest supporters of the present Ministry — Messrs Hogg and ' Stevens,- M.H.R.'s — have severely criticised ' the ■administration of the .Advances to ' Settlers Office., At-fhe Land Board meeting'here ttf^ay Mr Stevens "expressed surprise that the office was no longer advancing, money iipon leasehold, sections, which'fut- ■ nished first-class security. This, he considered, was a great mistake on the part of> the office, and would result in much hardship to many deserving men, who had expended all their means in 1 improving their ,land, and naturally ' expected that they t would-be able to obtain some temporary .as-.sis.tance-from the, Advances to Settlers department" Some of them had.be'en-put to ' their wits' eiids in consequence of the .re- J fusal of the department to help them. The , position taken up "by the department was a ! most unsatisfactory one. Mr Hogg said he regretted to find that" the Advances to Settlers Office was not affording th 6 settlers " in the bush the assistance they tad a rjgjit

to expect. In company with Mr Reese, he had heard serious complaints from a- Wan- j ganui settler,' who stated that, owing- to the refusal of the- office to make reasonable j advances, he and other settlers had been j i compelled to borrow privately, and the J JJew Zealand Loan , and Mercantile Agency j Company was mentioned asa firm that was doing a good deal of business in that way. | " He had received of; late a number of letters fj'o^n settlers in the Forty--Mile Bush, .comI plaining bitterly that, although they had made improvements, the Advances Office declined to make any advance whatever. ' In one instance a Pongoroa settler, whose name he mentioned, informed him that last Christmas he was offered £200 for his section.,- He had 50 acres in grass, 25 acres • just sown down, 29 chains of fencing, a whare r ; covered with iron and with an iron chimney, ! ' and when he applied for £100 in order "to j buy sheep and fell more bush he was refused any assistance 'whatever. '' 'As he "(Mr- Hogg) I had informed the settlers from time to time ', I that owing to the establishment of- the Ad- J t vances Office bush settlers would receive •- timely assistance by being allowed to borrow to the extent of half the value of their improvements, he asked the office for an explanation, and he received a reply that the improvements Jn- this case had been ■ valued, at. £120, but .'the valuer could only ( . recommend an advance not exceeding £40, '" and on due consideration the board had de- 1 cided to refuse "the application. He had ; ■forwarded the correspondence to the Pre- i ! mier -with a request -that the matter should \ j receive consideration. Other similar repre- [ , sentations had been made to him, and the . only conclusion lie could arrive at was that l '• while the superintendent was doing his duty [ the settlers were probably suffering. "Oaring,to the, unfortunate illness of -the Minister o° ! i Lands and -the consequent absence of any- ' , one_ with, a practical .knowledge' of • their ' ,' position" and • requirements, he was afraid--i that, the only remedy would he fresh legis- * _ lation, involving an alteration in +he j composition of the , Lending Board. • Of one thing he .felt convinced— that" I the present office was not giving the amount of assistance to new settlers, " who ' ! were trying to attach themselves to the . land, that the Legislature contemplated when the Advances to Settlers -Act' was passed. *• April 30. The superintendent of the Advances to Settlers department gives a,n absolute denial to the statements made the other c day ...by Messrs Hogg arid ' Stevens. }. MtH.R s. , -in- -oritioisin of ■ the- -working G f ' the department. He contends . that in the - f case cited by Mr Hogg -the- applicant's own' , valuation did not afford a margin for the , advance applied for.^JSe adds that Mr i Stevens is under a" misapprehension in stating that the office "is no longer advancing" money upon leasehold '" sections which furnish first-class security," and that the department has of late , restricted its operations. The actual amounts issued for "investment on mortgage during the last few months and ' the corresponding months of last year were : — 1900. 1899. *■'- , " ■ £ £ January • .» „ 56,198... '19,281 February .. .. p> .. „ 41,274- .. 27,345 march .. 33,316,... 26.226." April' (current month) ; . 40,470 . .- 32,923 '■•