A LAND BOARD VETERAN

Southland Times, Issue 16745, 26 May 1911, Page 6

A LAND BOARD VETERAN

PRESENTATION TO MB KINROSS. After the conclusion of business at the youth land Land Hoard meeting yesterday, -Mr Duncan King said Unit it would be tlie last oeeasion on which Mr Kinross would appear its a member of the Board. Mr Kinross bail invariably carried out tils duties faithfully and well, and had always fearlessly expressed his opinions, his attitude in regard to transfers being ;ui instance of this characteristic. A more conscientious member could not be found, and the Hoard deeply regretted his decision to retire. He moved, "That this Hoard wishes to place on record its high appreciation of the long and faithful public services rendered by -Mr Kinross as a member of this Hoard for Hie last twenty-eight years, and expresses its deep regret at his retirement." Mr John .Mel.etui seconded the motion, and said Hull lie had known Mr Kinross for over thirty years. He had found him to be a genuine friend, and a man of vast experience in a number of tilings. 1 Hiring 1 1 is long term of public service, Mr Kinross had suffered monetary loss, for if lie laid devoted bis time and ability to furthering his own interests, instead of for the benefit of the country, he would. assuredly, have dune well from a material point of view. Mr Kinross, as a faithful public servant, was deserving of peace and happiness during the evening of his days, and as lie was still healthy and could dance and frolic like a young man, there was every reason to believe that this would he so.

Mr James King said that Mr Kinross was a thoroughly upright and conscientious man, and. personally, lie had to thank him for the consideration lie had always received from him. The Board was losing a tirst-class member, and lie wished Mr Kinross health, strength, and happiness for many a day to come. Mr H. M. Skeet said that during the two years Unit he had been chairman of the Board, lie had always appreciated Mr Kinross, whose sympathies were Invariably on the side of the small settler. Air Kinross had been in Southland for fortyeight years, ami had consistently interested himself in the land ([uestion. Ho bad done bis duty fearlessly, conscientiously. and well, and lie had seen many changes in the personnel of the Board, it would indeed be interesting if lie would place on record his experiences in this connection. Air Kinross had been Instrumental in the old Provincial days in materially assisting in the bringing down of the deferred payment land system. He was leaving the Board on bis own initiative, and members regretted his having decided to do so. On behalf of the members and the secretary of the Board .Mr Skeet then presented Air Kinross with a .Morris etiair, as a slight token of I be regard in which he was held by them.

Mr Kinross feelingly thanked the members of the Board for their kind remarks. and also for the present they had given him. which had taken him entirely by surprise. It was not pleasant to have to say good-bye, especially to men with whom he had been so long associated. During the twenty-eight years that he had been a member of the Board, three Ministers of Lands, three Commissioners of Crown Lands, and three members of the Board laid passed away. To him the work had been pleasant, as ho had always taken a keen interest in the land question, and during the time of the Provincial Government lie had drafted an Act which afterwards became law. lie referred to the deferred payment system, which was the best system that the Dominion had yet tried. Banning had not always been as profitable as it was nowadays. Tilings were very different when lie first became a member of Die Board, a great number of settlers not being able to pay their rent. The Government therefore passed the Valuation Act which relieved 375 deferred payment settlers and 84 perpetual lease settlers by decreasing their rents. The Government had always been a generous landlord, and, although it lost revenue by reducing rents, the country as a whole gained by its action. He did not know of any other member of a Land Board who had twenty-eight years’ service to his credit. He had always been treated well by Ministers of Lands, and lie invariably had found the officers of the Board to lie most courteous and obliging. !i<- was retiring, he thought lie could say, with the good wishes of ills colleagues, and lie did not feel a bit older now than when he first became a member of the Board. During the remainedr of his days he intended to enjoy a fair share Board. During the remainder of his in their amusements. In conclusion Mr Kinross expressed pleasure with the cordial feeling that existed between members of the Board, and again thanked them for their many kindnesses and for their present.