THE LAND COMMISSION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2661, 15 March 1905, Page 15

THE LAND COMMISSION.

EVIDENCE AT WYNDHAM. THE EDENDALE SETTLEMENT. (Bt Ottb Special Repobteb.) WYNDHAM, March 3. The Land Commission left Invercargill this morning and held a sitting at Wyndham at 10 o'clock, when some valuable testimony .•was given by witnesses. The minutes of the previous day's proceedings were read in committee. James Milne, president of the local branch of the Farmers' Union and chairman of the Wyndham Dairy Company, said he owned a freehold farm of £00 acres. He had been close on 40 years in the district, and nearly 50 years in the colony. Respecting the constitution of Land Boards, te thought the present system ought not to be altered. Tnere was a class of men on the boards who had had a deal of experience in the work, and if the system was altered men might be appointed who had to learn the work. The nomination system, might have weak points, but, when the members fell out by rotation there was nothing serious about it. There was an old saying that it was Detter to abide the evils that we have than fly to others that we know not of. As for the land tenure, he was in favour of the freehold. The most successful tenure, he considered, was the deferred payment under the ballot system as proposed by Mr Donalu Reid. In support of that idea he mentioned that -people wlio took up land on that system made more effort to secure homes for themselves than under the present system. It was natural in every man to feel that he would like to have a piece of land of his own. Under Mr Reid's system if the settlers who went on the land had large means they soon made homes for themselves. A man who had not the right to the freehold had not the same incentive to work. The Chairman : Have you seen how the lease in perpetuity works? — Witness: Only what happens in our own district. We have the Gl&nhain and Edendale Estates. What is your opinion of the lease in perpetuity as you have seen it at Glenham? — I think there are some weak points attaching to it. Further examined witness said that the climate had much to do with a farmer's success. The climate of South Canterbury and North Otago was very different from that of South Otago. There was also the fact that the ground was patchy. It was good ground in one place, but very poor close by. The best land was on the top of the ridges, whereas one would think it would be along the creek sides. The low terraces at Edendale along the river were poor, but the hind on the ridges was good, and on the higher land it was poor again. There was a deal of cold land at Oteramika. The Chairman : It has been suggested that in connection with that poor land which has been lying there surveyed for the last 30 years the homestead system might be adopted. Under the freehold system, you ■will understand, a man would be given the land for nothing, the Government simply requiring him to make certain improve- ' ments, and if he fulfils these conditions at th^-end of seven or ten years he would get a Crown grant. — Witness: The areas would have to be large under such a system to be successful. Further examined : He thought the- ballot eysteni might be 'improved. He did not like the idea of_ grouping sections. As a settler he would like to feel some freedom if he was applying for a section, more especially in the south where the land was bo patchy. Under the grouping system a man might get a section that he did not want. As to the practice of loading lands, he found that in many districts the tenants were paying interest while the money had not been expended. The money ought to be expended in a reasonable time. He did not see that there was any great harm in the loading. It would be well to expend the money before the people went on the ' land. On the subject of advances to settlers, he would like to see an alteration made in the condition that a settler had to be 12 months on the land before , •he could get a loan. If a settler , started with only a limited amount of | capital and was allowed to get an ' advance as soon as he got his house up or some fencing done it would be an advantage to him. As soon as a man had made sufficient improvements he ought to re allowed an advance right away. Estates ■ ivere not being aggregated in the Wyndham district to any extent. It sometimes hap- . pened that one farmer bought out another. ' He did not believe in the land being tied up in large blocks. He considered that the good land in Edendale was fairly divided. Some of the holdings might be rather small. ' The poor land, he thought, should have j been in larger areas, both in Edendale and i Gienham. It would be a great advantage to the colony if the pastoral lands wero surface-sown. Actual valuation ought to he allowed for improvements to encourage tenants in grassing. Already much damage had been done by sowing seed that was mixed with seeds. There ought to be an examination of the seed before it was used. In fixing the rent for large runs he would not obiect to a sliding scale. For instance, it might be fixed according to the number of =heep shorn. To Mr Johnston : The values of land i" the Wyndham district had increased to a certain extent in the last few years. One of the reasons was that t'mps had been good. Twenty years ago Edendale was selling as high as at present, but that was nothing to go by. It was a " boom." The coiapanv sod at £11 or £12 an acre. He did not think that the ragwort was a serious evil. The shee" could keep it in trim. The Calif ornian thistle was very bai away back in the rough country. Referring to the Waikawa Settlement, he said that the principal thing he did not like in it was the way the money was squandered and chucked about in trying to force a settlement. The settlers were pampered in such a way that they were ouite helpless. A few of the settlers did well, but very few. The settlement was a faikire, becaue in the hilly bush country lyirg away from the sun an undergrowth came that, unless checked at the commencement, made the country useless, and many of the settlers especially the young people^ were going \ away and leaving the land. Even if the | men had been good men the settlement J would not, he thought, have been a su3- ! cess. The land was not suitable, but the j main point was that the men were not euitab'e. The Crown tenants at Fortrosi ■»where the first homestead settlement was forinsd. were fairy comfortable. The land

turned out warm and better than was expected. To Mr M'Cutchan: The deferred payment would be a better tenure than the 999 years' lease. To Mr Paul : He would not give the free hold to tenants on harbour board, cducatioi, and other endowments. He saw no occasion for a second poll. . To Mr Anstey : The valuators did their work well. His only objection to them was that they all valued too high.— (Laughter ) James Cushnie, farmer on the Edendale Settlement, said he held 90 acres under lease in perpetuity. Jtle had been in the district for 30 years, and had engaged i:i farming all along. He sold out at Wyndham, and took up his present holding. He appeared with Mr Milne on behalf of the local branch of the Farmers' Union, and endorsed many of the views expressed ay that gentleman. The Advances to Settles Department had been a great boon, especially to small farmers, by reducing the ra-.-o of interest to a ieasonable figure. When a man wanted' a small loan he could get it without much expense. The seople in the district desired that the Government shoui-i continue that office, and prosecute it even more vigorously than at present, especially in regard to small settlers and their own tenants. It was a sreneral complaint o-i the Edendale Settlement that, although they made improvements on the ground, they could not srftt an advance within the first 12 months.

The Chairman : Are the Edendale settlers likely to succeed? — Witness: They are all' hopeful of success. Mr Johnston : You formerly had a freehold property? — Witness: i.es. Did you sell out to take up a lease ir perpetuitj' to improve your position ? — I sold out four years ago, and took up land at Edendale eight months ago.

Are you satisfied with the tenure of yo ..r land — I am quite satisfied. "You do not want anything else? — It seems satisfactory enough, x may say . thiji the Government ought to be a little more liberal with its tenants in regard to advances. It ought to allow a larger proportion on the improvements. Mr M'Lennan : Are your neighbours satisfied with the lease in perpetuity as far as you know? — Yes. Of course we have had only a little experience, but as far r,s I know they are satisfied. To Mr Matheson: He paid 15s an acve for his section. If by paying one-fourth more he could get the right to buy at the upset price he would not take the right. In other words, Tie preferred the lease m perpetuity at 15s an acre to a lease witli the right of purchase at 18s 9d an acre. After hearing further evidence, the members of the commission inspected the one-ton cheese which has been made to the order of the Government by the Wyndham Dairy Factory Company for the forthcorriing Crystal Palace Exhibition in London. Tiiere were 20.0001b of milk used in manufacturing the cheese, which is 3ft high, with a diameter of 3ft 7in. It is to be sent away next Wednesday. To-morrow the commission sits to hear further evidence, and in the afternoon a visit will be paid to the Glenham Estate.

Frank B. White, lessee on the Glenham settiPtnert under lease in perpetuity, said he had been two years and nine months on the land. He held 219 acres, for which he paid 4s 3d an acre. He used it for dairying, and cropped about 25 acres every year. At present he was not in a position to buy. He would sooner be under the Government than any other landlord. He was fairly well satisfied with his present holding. Some of the land on the Glenham settlement was going back in price. Some of it was £2 in value less than when it was taken up. That was not the case with witness's land. He had been manuring his land and building on it. He had applied for a loan, which was "granted. He went on th*s property with £400, and put up a threcrcomed house and cow byre, and made other improvements, spending nearly all his cash. He went to the office, and was told he would g-et an advance of one-half of the value of his fencing and buildmgs. The valuer put down the value at £-333, which was less than witness had expended on it. He wanted £150, and after waiting for two months he got word from Wellington that he could get £100. He had to pay £3 for expenses. The interest charged was S£- per cent. If a man improved his land to the extent of £1 an acre, in five years he should have the right to purchase. Witness also said that at a meeting of Glenham settlers on the 22nd February the following resolutions were carried: — "Constitution of Land Boards : That members of the Land Boards should be elective, and that Crown tenants be represented in all Land Boards throughout the colony. Land tenures : That after five years' residence Crown tenants have ih-e right to purchase on the original capital value, and to pay such purchase moneys in such amounts and at such times as the settlers are in a position to do so. Practice of loading lands for roads and its working: That any moneys loaded on an estate for road-making should be spent on that estate within 12 months from the time such estate is opened for settlement."

To Mr Paul: There were 22 settlers at Glenham. Sixteen persons were present or were represented at the meeting at which the resolutions were passed. Only one perfon was there who was not a tenant (Mr Cameron), who looked after the estate.

To Mr Anstey : One reason why he would prefer the freehold was that there might be a tampering with his lease. He favoured Land Boards being elected on the ■electoral roll. The tenants ought to be allowed to elect one representative, say, by poll.

To Mr Matheson : He did uoL believe in rent being reduced or increased. If a man undertook to do a thing he ought to carry it through.

John Graham said he was a farmer at Mataura Island, whore lie farmed 250 acres of freehold land. He had been about two and a-half years there. He had been farming for 55 years in the Taieri district, and before that for 10 years in the Tokomairiro diftrlct. He thought the- chairmen of County Councils wcmld make excellent members of Land Boards. The chairmen w-rre elected annually. He supported the freehold. The desire to own a place vas engrained in the British nature. No doubt thj lea=ehold was a good thing for people with small capital, but the people should have an opportunity to acquire the freebold. A settler who desired to make the land his own ought to have a preference in getting- land. In Mo-.giel the freeholds were better looked after than the leaseholds. He had a feeling that tenants were somev. hat under political influence. A tenant would not like to vote against his landlord- Ib-Q residential conditions

were fair. The average annual value of a cow in the district was from £6 to £12, according to the quality of th© land. His objection to the ballot was that it purt the inexperienced man on an equal fooing with the qualified man. An experienced man ought to be given the preference. He had known cases of inexperienced men who had got sections when qualified men did not succeed. Land values were rising in thedistrict — the freehold more so than the leasesold. In fact, Southland land was going up all round. He believed there was a great prospect for Southland, and that the value of land would rise further. The two best concessions the farmers had got from the Government were the Advances to Settlors Act and free carriage of lime on the railways.

In reply to questions, witness said he was dairy farming, with 50 cows on his farm. An acre and a-half would suffice for one cow. His annual average yield from a cow was £10. It entailed a good deal of labour, which .was carried out by members of his own family. He had 10 children. -A.t the ballot he would give preference ttj a married man. He favoured the land for settlement policy. He believed the aggregation of estates was going on to some extent. The Government always had a remedy, as it would acquire a, large estate and cut it up. He would restrict a man's freehold where it was fit for agriculture. Parliament ought to decide what area a man ought to hold under any tenure ; in that way the aggregation of land suitable for small holdings would be prevented.

Samuel Thomson, a settler on the Glenham Estate, said he would like to got the option of the freehold. Freeholders made the best settlers.

Georsre Crosbie, a s-ettler at Glenham, said he- held 459 acres on perpetual lease, paying 3s 9d an acre. The land, excepting the rough faces, was laid down in grass when he took it, and there was a house on it, together with fencing. He used it for grazing and cultivation. He would like to secure the freehold. He had been two years and a-half on the section.

Robert Meikle M'Callum, farmer, said he held 300 acres of freehold. He had r>een 40 years in the disti-ict, and was at present chairman of the Southland County Council. He favoured the present constitution of Land Board-?. He supported the freehold. At the same time he didn't object to the leasehold, because it gave a man }ust starting an opportunity to employ his capital in stock. They should have the option to acquire the freehold when they were able. Estates were not being aggregated in Southlands There was only one large estate in Southland — the Agricultural Company's estate on the "Waimea Plains, — and the company -would cut it up any day, but could not do so. The County Council could very well spend money procured from the loading of lands. The Oteramika land was gold-bearing, and might pay if a dredge were put on it. Men had worked on it for many years.

Mr M'Lennan: Would you favour giving th© LancJ Boards more discretionary power? — Witness : Yes ; it would be better to give them more power, instead of referring matters to Wellington. Ido not think the board would exceed any power given to it. James Alexander Sinclair, settler at Edendale, came forward to represent the tenants of the settlement. The following resolutions were carried at a recent meeting of the settlers, 400 of whom attended: — "That, in the opinion of this meeting, leaseholders should have the right to purchase the land, but proper measures should be taken to prevent the aggregation of large estates, pressure of residence, and other restrictions. That the cropping restrictions be amended to provide that the tenant paying a high rent should be allowed to crop more than the tenant paying a low rent. The ballot system: That the grouping system be done away with. Loading lands for reads : That the land should be loaded provided the money is promptly and judiciously spent. Advances to settlers : That advances be granted to settlers as soon as the necessary improvements are on the pround." In an-swer to Mr Paul witness said he believed theie were o\er 100 tenants on the estate counting the smaller settlers, and 33 out of the 40 at the meeting supported the land tenure motion. The matter of the representation of tenants on Land Boards was also talked about at the meeting, but not seriously discussed. The opinion seemed to be general that the local board was a good board.

Benjamin Parker, settler on the Edendale Settlement. said the settlers. urgently needed a school, but there appeared to be a dispute between the controlling authorities. There were 38 children of school age at present. These children had to walk miles, and after they came home they were tired, and unable to assist their parents. Witness was previously in the Stirling district. A cow would yield from £7 to £10 in Stirling district, and he thought the same result might be achieved at Edendale. Settlers ought to be allowed to borrow within the first 12 months of their lease. He would like the Government to assist the settlers in gotting a supply of lime, the. settlers to pay back the expenditure by means of a sinking fund on a 5 per cent, basis. The Edendale lands could not be farmed profitably without lime. There was a fear in some men's minds that under the lease in perpetuity the Stato might sometime or other pass a law prejudicial to thoir interests. The advances to settlers might be increased from one-half of the tenant's interest to three-fifths.

Peter Campbell, farmer of 30 years' standing in the Wyndham district, said a man with limited means had a better opportunity of improving his position on a leasehold than on a freehold. The eradication of weeds was a problem to solve in Southland. The ragwort v.as not so bad if a man kept sheep. The difficulty was with the small dairy-farmer, who had not scope enough to pnt ft few sheep in with his cows. The Californian thistle was becoming a thorough pest all over the district. Thomas Ayscn, farmer, said he had 1300 acres of freehold land six miles south of Wyndham. It was agricultural and grazing land. He had been 37 years in the district. - Ho believed in the right of purchase. He did not object to the leasehold, but the freehold was the best system in the interests of the country. It was the system that would induce the beat and most enterprising settlers^ to put capital into the land. He would limit the freehold. He supported the acquiring of land for settlement, and would give the freehold to the settlers a? well. There was practically no such thing as unearned increment. If a man went into the wilderness and worked without wages for 20 years he was entitled to all the benefit that had accrued at the end of that term. He thought persons ought to be debarred fipni destroying good land by

"dredging. Even a freeholder's title ought not to give him the right to destroy the public estate in that way. William Joseph Marsh, journalist, Wyndham, also gave evidence.