SMALL GRAZING HUNS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10410, 25 July 1912, Page 5

SMALL GRAZING HUNS.

Per Frees Association. Wellington, July 24! An Important phase of land settlement oodeerning the holders of sraalL grazing in.ns was brought under the ;■ notice of the Prime Minister, Hon. W F. Massey, in his capacity am Minister for Lands, by a deputation from the Wafrarapa this afternoon. The position was disclosed by Mr W. O. Boohanan, M.F., in introducing the deputation The leases, be said, were held under tha Act of 1885, and the bolder# were in a state of suspense because the Land Board objected to grant further leaser"' under she conditions different front . the original leases, viz., a rental of 2 y 2 per cent. Section 209 of thr Act of 1885 was rather difficult of construction. To him it meant that ~ if the Government was going to lease these email grazing runs on the expiry of the leases of 21 years, the original lessees had a clear right to a renewal of the lease upon termsprovided by the Act. A possible sale of the freehold was not men-. tinned in the section, and ha war not aware that the Land Beard proposed to sell As far as he knew, the Board’s intention was to re-let, bufe in the case of some of them the Board proposed to subsidise the original blocks. As far as his infdrmation went, very few of the sections were suitable for subdivision, . An far as be knew some of the lessees* were not at all insistent upon their right to get a new leaso at a rental-, of 2>£ per cent. All they wanted was a rental* based on a fait valuation.- The number of lessees Involved was about 140, scattered about In various parts.

“la my-opinion,’’ said the PrimeMinister, in replying," “yoa have made osfe a good case, certainly a. ' case that appeals to me," Be had. been looking Into the matter,, of grazing runs, and be had discovered that by the Act of 1907 the right of the holders to convert into lease in perpetuity was taken away. The provision was agreed to by a tired House, which was ander the Impression that the change proposed wan neosEsary for the working of the Land Act. He was willing to admit now that an injustice had been done. • He proposed to refer the whole matter to the Grown Law Officers for a report on the subject of whair was to be done and what was in* tended by She past Acts and on the position as a whole. If;an Injustice bad been done, an oppofsnnlty would be taken in the L&ad Bill which would. ba introduced dosing thepsessnt session to pnfi the matter" right, and to pat the holders of smalt grazing runs in the position they were intended to occupy by previous legislation. “If,” he added, “thereis one class la the community whloh is entitled to sympathetic consideration from the Government and will receive it, it is those pioneer settlers who have broken in the new - country. ”