LAND BOARDS CONFERENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2647, 7 December 1904, Page 10

LAND BOARDS CONFERENCE.

THE WORKING OF THE LAND LAWS. WELLINGTON, December 1. The conference of Waste Lands Commissioners and members of Land Boards was opened to-day. The proceedings were not open to the press. The Minister of Lands, in opening the prooeedings, congratulated the boards upon being so largely represented. The conference was one of the most important that had taken place in the history of the colony.

since it was essential that the conditions "under which lands are settled should be the best "possible, and carried out with the least' possible amount of friction, so that settlers might- be contented, happy, and prbsper'bua." -He courted- the fullest -discussion upon all matters brought' before the conference, and urged those present to- speak freely and unreservedly, as it was the sole", desire the Government to obtain the opinions of members of boards who administered the Land Act, and" as the result of their experience i they ajre perfectly competent to say in what j direction amendments are necessary or desirable. . . i The matters dieoussed by the conference j to-day were: — (1) The question ofj whether Crown tenants labour under any restriction inimical to their well-being and unnecessary i in the interests of the State. (2) Are the residential conditions too exacting, and do j they requjre relaxing? (3) The working of j the present ballot system dealing with ap- | plications for lands. Various alterations in. j the law were suggested, one of the most ; important being m the direction of giving ! Land Boards greater discretionary powers | than they at present possess.