EVIDENCE AT MIDDLEMARCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2663, 29 March 1905, Page 17

EVIDENCE AT MIDDLEMARCH.

The Land Commissioners sat at Middlejraroh on Monday, leaving town by an early morning train and returning in the evening.

The first witness called was Erie Hanson, farmer, who said he had 100 acres of freetold two miles from the town. He had been over 30 years in the district. He carried on dairy work, supplying the factory with milk. The area he held was too small for cropping. He had three sons, and would like more land. At present there was not more land to be got, all the land round about being in big holdings. Messrs Murray, Robert', and Co. were the principal holders. He did not believe in the freehold. Only recently Mr Allan sold an area of about 500 acres, which was bought by people in the employ of Mr Roberts. The land in the district was -poor, and when there was no land available people simply {had to leave the district. Dummying went on- in the old days, and he believed it was in vogue at the present day, too. A number of- small holdings had been bought up by Messrs Murray, Roberts, and C 0.,, who hold something like 10,000 acres on the flat. If that country were bought by the Crown it could be divided into dairy farms and other holdings. The firm had sold some of it lately for £14 per acre. A poor man had little chance of buying -100 acres of that iand.

William D'Arcy Mason said he owned 115 acres and leased seven acres. He carried on dairying. He had 32 cows. There were about 36 suppliers to the dairy $actory in the district, who owned among them perhaps 1000 cows. There was a great demand for land. People were really paying a sweating price for land from ..he High Schools Board, which administered a great area of the land on the plain. The only land available for dairy farming in the district at the present time was in the possession of Messrs, Murray, Roberts, and Co , •who held about 4000 acres of suitable land. There wa9 other land adjoining that was quite fit for dairying, though it was not of first class quality. About 1400 Acres had fceen offered to the Government at from £9 to £14 per acre, or £11 all round. The liand Purchase Board had offered £10 per acre, but no arrangement was come to. If a man had' from 50 to 80 acres of that land he would make a good living. One man in the district had got £123 from 28 acres for milk alone, sent to the Taieri and Peninsula factory Co.'s creamery. The man was, perKaps, above the average, and he had a good helpmate. He referred to Mr William Egan. A man could not pay more than £8 or £9 per acre for the land. His profit dh his cows was £9 a year for each cow, and his average return for the last two years from the Taieri and Peninsula Co. jwas lid per 1b for butter-fat.

Mr M'Lennan, who is a shareholder of the company, challenged the latter statement, remarking that he had received only 9a' per ib for butter-fat during the last two years.

Asked by Mr Paul if it was proposed by the Trades Councils to make revaluation retrogressive in its action, witness said that, speaking from an experience of 25 years of those bodies, he believ-ed it had never been proposed to make it retrogressive. As to the period' at the end of which revaluation ghould take place, he thought that 30 years >vould answer all purposes. In answer to other questions, witness said that much of the Rock and Pillar land, which, was now under th© control of the High Schools Board, might be cut up into farms. The land would then bring In a better return than was obtained for it at present. It was now leased to Messrs Murray, Roberts, and Co. The firm also lield 33,000 acres: of hill country on pastoral lease. Much of that land would also be taken up by settlers no\v in the neighbourhood. A run in that district in a dry •season would bo well stocked with two sheep to five acres, but in good seasons it would stock two sheep to three acres. He •thought that the several districts in the province ought to have a representative on the liand Board. He dieS not think that the board could be dispensed with and the work done by the commissioner and competent rangers. He thought the land ought ±o be the property of- the State, and a auan ought to b& allowed to hold land only •while he used it. The old perpetual lease, .without the right of purchase, and! with valuation at certain period's, was. he (thought, the best system for the indnidual end for the State. He could prove to the commission that in that district the leaseHiold was farmed as well as the freehold. The best piece of land ho knew in the district was held on a 14 years' lease. He shought the best body to control the education endowments was the Land Board: it

would be more in the interests of settlement. Land had increased in value in the vicinity of the township, principally on account of the railway and the dairying industry. John Hay, carpenter, said he had 15 acres under lease from the High Schools Board. He would like more land. There was a demand for land in the district, and if land waa cut up it would be taken up. Some time ago a block of 600 acres belonging to Mrs Nimmo was bought by Mr Kirkland. It was land that would cut up into small sections for settlement.

The Chairman said the area was under the limit, and therefore could not be resumed.

Witness, continuing, said that as a tenant of the High Schools Board he thought the Land Board ought to have control of the endowments. The aggregation of estates was going on to some extent. The Cotteebrook run had increased in eize : it had taken in Dry Ridge R.m, which was at one time in the occupation of Mr Allan.

Michael Moynihan, farmer, near Sutton, said h« would like to make his perpetual lease freehold. He did not do so within the time allowed. He came forward to say something about the unearned incrementThere was no such thing. It was only his labour and his improvements on the place, together with what he had made off his section and which he had put into the land. When he took up his freehold he paid £4per acre for it, and if he sold it now for £20 per acre he would only be getting back his own. Ho believed some of the neighbouring Tuns could be subdivided. He could do with 1000 acres of the high and low country, and make as much out of it as any other man. He overlooked his opportunity to make his perpetual lease a freehold. He had not heard that in some cases, under the advice of the Solicitorgeneral, an extension of time had been allowed. Ho was quite satisfied with the present constitution of the Land Board. No more evidence was forthcoming.

On Monday, subsequent to tl c meeting, the commissioners arranged their itinerary for North Otago. Palmerston will be visited on the forenoon of Wednesday, 29th inst. On Thursday evidence will be taken at Windsor Park and Ngapara settlements, on Friday at Tokarahi settlement and Duntroon, and on Saturday at Oamaru. The commissioners will drive round the settlements named, and will also inspect the Ardgowan Estate.