LAND TENURE COMMISSION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3145, 24 June 1914, Page 13

LAND TENURE COMMISSION.

SITTING AT GRE^MOUTH. - GREYMOUTH, June 5. The Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the timber and mining interests and terms of tenure of Crown lands on the west Coast commenced taking evidence this morning. Evidence was given that large ares held under mining leases could not be used for coal mining, and it was suggested that provision be made for leasing for farming purposes, particularly fruit. Coal rights and surface rights should both be dealt with by the warden, and dual control was objectionable. The sawmillers were of opinion that the control of mining wardens over timber areas should be abolished under certain conditions, and the commissioner alone should deal with applications. . Payment of royalty should be on timber actually produced. Millers should be allowed to peruse any. fresh regulations under the Land Act belore they were put into force. There was no good reason for continuing the division of land into wardens’ timber areas ana Land Board timber areas. The settlers asked for an improved system of tenure for lands. Evidence was taken till late in the afternoon. WESTPORT, Juno 12. The Crown Lauds Timber Commission sat at Westport this afternoon, and heard evidence given by G. G. Mackay, A. M‘Donald, E. H. Donaldson, and W. H. Bowater, mainly concerning the di«ab;ht <?s under which settlers and sawmillers labour under existing conditions for taking up and holding land. One\ witness stated that with the rents which settlers had to pay for West Coast land, considering the poor nature of much of it, a man spent his life in improving it, and yet only got a bare living, if that, from it, and the State for all time got the benefit from the improvement ho had made. >Je considered the rent should bo very small where bush land of poor quality was taken up until that land was in a position to give the hcldor some return for his money. June 14. The Crown Lands’ Tenures Commission took further evidence yesterday, suggestions of a varying nature being made by different witnesses, chiefly to overcome delays in granting applications in consequence of the dual control of wardens and land boards. One witness, Mr R. Patterson, who is a member of the Nelson Land Board, advocated cutting small areas up into blocks, having the value of the timber on the blocks appraised, and the blocks then put up to public auction. The same witness said he thought that timber for mining should pay a royalty—a view objected to by Mr W. ±l. Bowater, sawmiller, on the ground that the timber used for mining was practically useless for anything else, and that the payment of royalty would only hamper an industry which was at present severely handicapped. Mr Frank.' Reid, inspecting engineer, gave a good deal of information regarding the commercial aspects of mining and timber areas that might be reserved for mining purposes.

Mr E. A. Wickes informed the Timber Commission last week (the Grey River Argus states) that the sawmiller, like the minor, lived in hopes of better days, but* in spite of this, no West Coast sawmillor had yet been able to retire. Red pine was regarded as the bread and butter of the trado on the Coast, but it had a keen competitor in Oregon pine, which could now' be landed at Lyttelton at 7s per 100 ft. That being so, the West Coast sawmillers were

entitled to all the privileges possible in or’.f to meet outside competition, and make the business.