THE LAND COMMISSION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2672, 31 May 1905, Page 23

THE LAND COMMISSION.

AUCKLAND, May 28. The Land Commission met yesterday. George Wilks, fanner, representing th< Auckland Farmers' Union, supported thi freehold 1 because he was strongly opposei to the State acquiring all the freehold land of the colony and leasing them, which was be declared, the set purpose of the Seddoj Government. Witness proceeded to quofc figures whioh, he said, showed that th< .Government borrowed money at 3 per cent. .or 3i per cent., and let it out to the work ing classes at 8 per cent, and 9 per cent. The Chairman: You are entirely wrong Bylaw they can only charge 5 per cent. - Witness: I beg your pardon. Knowinj .something of mathematics. I guarant«< with all deierence that I am right. Deal mg with the question of the unearned in "crement, witness declared he was sure thai -there was no such thing as unearned in erement. 4 The Chairman, then intimated thai •witness's time was up, 20 minutes having been stipulated. . Witness : I protest. - 1 The Chairman: Sit down if you please. Andrew Jack, representing the Farmers' •TJnion at Wade, a under the free.told tenure, said they all to a man .favoured the freehold. W,ien land was put .up the Government- should give the purchaser the optioto of the freehold or right -of purchase. As far as he knew, there was *lio of rural estates going on. • W. Gerrard,- farmer at Avondale under •lease in perpetuity, handed in a petition from farmers in his district stating that they were anxious to acquire the freehold, 'and wanted the right of purchase in connection with their holdings. . Joseph Flanagan, farmer, of Drury, favoured the freehold. In his opinion only people interested in the land should hare voice in the election of Land Boards. John Bollard, M.H.R.. land agent, said lie had been 45 years in the colony. Touching on the question of workmen's liomes in the neighbourhood of Auckland, he had been charged with inducing the Government to buy land .in the neighbourhood of Auckland for workmen's homes, and that the scheme had been a failure. He did not think it had been a failure -altogether. It was true that he had induced the Government to buy land. IJis idea was to take men from the city to more sanitary conditions in the country. The Government had refused to carry out the scheme he had propounded. Since the land had been cut up a number of persons Jiad called on him with reference to taking up the land, and nearly everyone had refused to take up ifee land because they could not get the freehold. Those that did take sections took them in the hope of •getting the freehold later on when there .wae a change of Government. The reason ,why sections had not been taken up was on account of the conditions under which •they were offered to the public. He would prefer the right of purchase being offered -under the- Lands for Settlements Act. The •freehold was the best tenure that could be , 'got. - William Peake, representing the- Trades .and Labour Council, holder of a freehold •suburban property, believed the leasehold .to be the best -, tenure both, for the community and the State. With regard to . workmen's houses, the bulk of the land offered in the vicinity of Auckland was not *fit- for anything better than the- manufacture of bricks. Then, again, communication with the city did not allow the workman any time to improve and work his section. They believed in the leasehold because it enabled a man to utilise his capital for building and general improvements. For the State to sell the land would, in his opinion, be the most .absurd policy. There should be a revaluation of properties held under 999 years lease on the death of the lessee, or in case of transfer. The Commission then adiourned. HAMILTON, May 29. The Land Commission hae been sitting- at Hamilton to-day. F. C. Ewen, Crown Lands Ringer, said that the settlers seemed generally satisfied with the land laws. The leaseholders generally ptit up as good holdings as the freeholders. Al 1 'sections should have roads made to them before being /thrown open. Thomas Carless, Jease-in-perpetuity (holder, said that his tenure was. his ideal provided the terms were not too high. The Government had no right to sell the unearned increment. Revaluation should take place. < R. D. Duxfield. chairman of the Ngarua"wahia BrancßLof the Farmers' Union, advocated the right of purchase and opposed -the ballot system. \ ' Arthur Furle, farmer, „ thought that contracts withdrawn tenants should be main- . tamed, but' if the freehold wore granted 'there shoudd. be a revaluation. Walter Ghittex,- on behalf «f the Hamilton Tanners' Clvb t favoured the option "of purchase on present values. •" . John Goodwin, lease-in-perpetuity settler on Fencourt Estate, strongly favoured the freehold. E. Clifton, of the Agricultural Department, gave evidence on the Wairangi experimental farm, where fruit trees have been planted by the Government with the object of letting small holdings when the orchards well started, and establishing the fruit industry. j The Chairman, on behalf of the commissioners, congratulated Mr Clifton on the excellent work done at Wairangj. J. Thompson, Government surveyor, who surveyed Matamata for settlement, said the land there was only valued sufficiently to recoup the Government from loss-. He had not met a settler there who was dissatisfied. NEW PLYMOUTH, May 29. At the sitting of the Land Commission the majority of iho witnesses favoured the freehold, of the leasehold with a purchasing ] clause. Great objection was taken to re- : valuation. Tho witnessjs generally showed an uneasiness as to the uncertainty of the 999 years' lease clause being observed, and they demonstrated that the lack of roads was greatly retarding settlement. More Government assistance was necessary. The eystem of loading blocks was not favoured, | the majority advocating the construction of main roads by the Government prior to selection, the settlers to raise loans for bye- ( roads. The district engineer stated that the amount raised by loading was totally insufficient.